l»,lCltKl\»] 


IN  SHANSl  ^m 


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EHEDWARDSNB^CM 


H.E.   Ts'kn  Ch'un   liSUAN, 
Governor  nf  Sliaiisi  1901-1902,  and  Two  of  his  Sons. 


Fire  and  Sword  in  Shansi 

The   Story  of  the  3V[artyrdom  of 
Foreigners  and  Chinese  Christians 

By 

E.  H.  Edwards 

M.B.,  C.M.(Edin.) 
For  Twenty  Years  Medical  Missionary  in  China 

With  Introductory  Note  by 
Alexander   Maclaren,  D.D.,  Litt.D. 

Manchester 


New  York  Chicago  Toronto 
Fleming   H.   Revell   Company- 
London  and  Edinburgh 


5n  %ovinQ  /Iftemor^ 

or  tbc 
/IDart^rs  of  Sbanst 

"  Be   thou  faithful  unto   death,  and  I 
will  give  thee  a  crown  of  life." 


991  Qn^^A 


INTRODUCTORY    NOTE 

BY  DR.  ALEXANDER  MACLAREN,  MANCHESTER 

THE  story  of  Christian  heroism  told  in  the 
following  pages  finds  a  worthy  narrator 
in  Dr.  Edwards,  whose  self-repression  may  make 
a  word  of  introduction  from  me  suitable.  Dr. 
Edwards  has  been  a  medical  missionary  in  China 
for  twenty  years,  eighteen  of  which  were  spent  in 
Shansi,  in  which  province  he  has  carried  on,  in 
conjunction  with  his  relatives,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Pigott, 
a  Mission  the  cost  of  which  was  largely  borne  by 
themselves.  It  is  only  the  "  accident "  of  his 
having  been  on  furlough  at  the  time  of  the 
massacres  that  saved  him  from  sharing  the  fate 
of  the  other  members  of  that  Mission ;  and  he  is 
now  on  the  eve  of  returning,  with  his  wife,  to  the 
city  in  which  he  and  they  laboured,  and  they  died, 
for  Christ.  He  has  therefore  given  guarantees 
of  his  disinterested  zeal,  which  may  well  ensure 
him  an  audience  for  his  narrative. 

Dr.  Edwards  returned  to  China  immediately  on 
the  news  of  the  massacres  reaching  England,  and 
waited  for  some  months  for  an  opportunity  to  re- 
enter Shansi,  during  which  time  he  was  able  to 


8  Introductory  Note 

open  communications  with  the  scattered  survivors 
among  the  Chinese  Christians,  and  came  into 
possession  of  many  of  the  blood-stained  letters 
and  diaries  which  he  has  used  in  this  book.  For 
part  of  that  time  he  acted  as  interpreter  to  the 
German  forces,  and  at  the  close  of  it  was  one  of 
the  first  party  of  missionaries  to  return  to  the 
scene  of  his  labours,  hallowed  now  by  the  blood 
of  saints.  He  was  there  alone  for  several  months, 
till  reinforcements  arrived.  He  had  therefore  un- 
equalled opportunities  of  gathering  facts,  and  his 
narrative  includes  many  hitherto  unpublished  par- 
ticulars, obtained  and  verified  on  the  spot.  The 
terror  and  the  greatness  of  the  facts  are  enhanced 
by  the  quiet  simplicity  of  the  way  of  telling 
them. 

And  the  facts  are  such  as  the  whole  Christian 
Church  should  be  thankful  for,  even  more  than 
sorrowful.  "  The  noble  army  of  martyrs  praise 
Thee,"  and  it  is  for  martyrdom  that  their  praise 
swells  highest  and  most  joyful.  The  last  recruits 
of  that  army, "  these  from  the  land  of  Sinim,"  have 
long  since  joined  their  new  notes  with  the  others ; 
and  we  do  not  well  if  we  only  lament  the  loss  of 
valuable  lives,  or  question  the  prudence  of  the 
sacrifice.  Now  that  time  has  somewhat  healed 
wounds,  we  should  feel,  even  while  we  mourn,  that 

"Nothing  is  here  for  tears,  nothing  to  wail, 
.     .     .     nothing  but  fair  and  good. 
And  what  may  quiet  us  in  a  death  so  noble." 

The  page  which  these  martyrdoms  has  added  to 


Introductory  Note  9 

the  Book  of  Martyrs  is  of  a  piece  with  all  the  pre- 
ceding pages, — the  same  Christ-sustained  heroism 
displayed  by  tender  women,  mothers,  maidens,  and 
children ;  the  same  meek  forgiveness,  the  same 
unalterable  constancy.  Stephen  need  not  be 
ashamed  of  his  last  successors.  Nor  were  the 
Chinese  converts  a  whit  behind  in  their  devotion. 
The  cynical  belittlers  of  Missions,  both  of  the 
missionaries  and  the  "  rice  Christians,"  as  they  call 
the  converts,  would  be  silenced,  if  they  have  any 
fairness  or  sense  of  shame,  by  the  unshrinking 
fidelity  of  these  dimly-seeing  but  deeply-loving 
Chinese  Christians.  They  could  not  argue  for 
Him,  but  they  could  and  did  die  for  Him.  The 
man  is  not  to  be  envied  who  can  read,  without  a 
lump  in  his  throat,  the  story  told  on  pages  185-6  of 
the  massacre  of  a  whole  family,  husband  and  wife, 
with  his  mother  and  sister,  who  joined  in  singing 
a  hymn,  "  He  leadeth  me,"  while  they  were  being 
carted  to  their  deaths,  and  were  slain  one  by  one — 
first  the  man,  then  his  mother,  next  his  sister,  and, 
last  of  all,  the  young  wife.  There  is  a  story  of  a 
mother  looking  on  at  the  martyrdom  of  her  sons 
in  the  Maccabean  times  which  is  immortal,  and 
that  Chinese  household's  fate  and  constancy  is  a 
worthy  companion  to  it. 

The  Church  at  home  has  not  sufficiently  realised 
the  sad,  glorious  story  told  in  the  succeeding 
pages,  and  some  of  us  have  wondered  and  sorrowed 
that  so  little  impression  has  been  produced  by  it. 
It  is  no  good  sign  of  the  state  of  the  Churches  ; 
and  this  volume,  it  is  hoped,  will  do  something 


lO  Introductory  Note 

to  bring  the  facts  home  to  Christian  hearts. 
These  English  men  and  women,  these  Chinese 
converts,  gladly  died  for  their  Lord.  Surely  their 
example  will  point  the  sharp  arrow  of  questioning 
to  some  of  us,  whether  we  really  believe  that  a 
Christian  life  is  a  daily  dying,  and  that,  whether 
martyrs  or  not,  we  are  scarcely  Christians,  unless 
we  continually  yield  life,  self,  and  all  to  Jesus  Christ. 


PREFACE 

OF  the  Boxer  movement  in  general  little 
remains  to  be  said  after  the  exhaustive 
work  on  the  subject,  China  in  Convulsion,  by 
Dr.  Arthur  H.  Smith;  but  his  account  necessarily 
contains  only  the  earliest  reports  concerning  the 
massacre  in  Shansi. 

Mr.  Marshall  Broomhall's  Martyred  Mission- 
aries and  Last  Letters  relate  chiefly  to  the 
sufferings  of  the  missionaries  of  the  China  Inland 
Mission. 

The  following  narrative  is  intended  mainly  to 

be  a  memorial  of  those  who  were  connected  with 

the   late  Shou    Yang    Mission.     Several    partial 

accounts  of  their  martyrdom  have  already  been 

published ;    but    careful    inquiries     having    been 

made   during    a   four    months'    residence  at  T'ai 

Yiian  Fu,  it  is  now  possible  to  give,  what  I  believe 

to  be,  the  true  version  of  their  sufferings.     The 

fact  that  many  of  the  places  of  martyrdom  are 

11 


1 2  Preface 

familiar  to  me,  and  that  most  of  the  martyrs  were 
my  personal  friends,  may  be  regarded  as  a  further 
qualification  for  this  sad  task. 

The  spread  of  Boxerism  throughout  the  entire 
province  is  traced  from  the  advent  of  the  Governor 
Yii  Hsien  in  April  to  the  latest  massacre  in 
September. 

The  history  of  subsequent  events  in  Shansi 
is  brought  up  to  date,  special  reference  being 
made  to  the  circumstances  which  led  to  the  return 
of  the  Protestant  missionaries  to  the  province  on 
the  invitation  of  the  then  Governor  Ts'en  Ch'un 
Hsuan ;  the  establishment  of  the  College  of 
Western  Learning ;  and  the  settlement  of  the 
Indemnity  question. 

In  Chapter  V.  will  be  found,  in  addition  to 
memorial  sketches  of  all  those  connected  with 
the  Shou  Yang  Mission,  a  striking  address 
delivered  by  the  late  Rev.  Geo.  B.  Farthing 
shortly  before  his  martyrdom,  and  which  may 
be  regarded  as  his  last  message ;  together  with 
several  letters  and  diaries  hitherto  unpublished  in 
England. 

Most  of  the  illustrations  are  from  photographs 
taken  on  my  return  to  Shansi  in  1901,  and  form 


Preface  13 

a  pictorial  record  of  the  memorial  services  for 
the  martyrs. 

The  result  of  my  work  is  offered  as  a  loving 
tribute  to  the  memory  of  all  the  martyrs  of 
Shansi,  and  an  effort  to  rouse  interest  in  Mission 
work  throughout  China. 

To  the  editors  of  China's  Millions  and  All 
Nations  I  am  indebted  for  blocks  of  maps,  and 
of  photographs  of  some  of  the  martyrs ;  and  to 
Miss  Jessie  H.  Denholm  Young  for  kind  help 
in  the  revision  of  proofs. 

E.  H.  EDWARDS. 
Edinburgh, 


THE  MARTYRS  OF  SHANSI 

"  The  noble  army  of  Martyrs  praise  Thee  " 


The  (late)  Shou  Yang  Mission 


Mr.  Thomas  Wellesley  Pigott, 

B.A.  Dub. 
Mrs.  E.  Jessie  Pigott. 
William  Wellesley  Pigott. 
Mr.  George  W.  Stokes. 
Mrs.  Stokes. 
Mr.  James  Simpson. 


Mrs.  Simpson. 

Miss  Edith  Anna  Coombs. 

Dr.  Arnold  E.  Lovitt. 

Mrs.  Lovitt. 

John  Lovitt. 

Miss  Emily  Duval. 

Mr.  John  Robinson,  B.A.  Lond. 


Unconnected 
Mr.  Alexander  Hoddle. 


American  Board  Mission 


Mr.  E.  R.  Atwater. 
Mrs.  Atwater. 
Ernestine  Atwater. 
Mary  Atwater. 
Bertha  Atwater. 
Celia  Atwater. 
Mr.  C.  W.  Price. 
Mrs.  Price. 


Florence  Price. 
Mr.  D.  H.  Clapp. 
Mrs.  Clapp. 
Mr.  F.  W.  Davis. 
Mr.  G.  L.  Williams. 
Miss  Rowena  Bird. 
Miss  Louisa  Partridge. 


English  Baptist 

Mr.  George  B.  Farthing. 

Mrs.  Farthing. 

Ruth  Farthing. 

Guy  Farthing. 

Betty  Farthing. 

Mr.  Herbert  Dixon. 

Mrs.  Dixon. 

Mr.  W.  A.  M'Currach. 


Missionary  Society 

Mrs.  M'Currach. 
Mr.  T.  J.  Underwood. 
Mrs.  Underwood. 
Mr.  F.  S.  Whitehouse. 
Mrs.  Whitehouse. 
Mr.  S.  W.  Ennals, 
Miss  B.  C.  Renaut. 
Miss  E.  M.  Stewart. 
14 


The  Martyrs  of  ShansI 


15 


The  British  and  Foreign  Bible  Society 


Mr.  W.  T.  Beynon. 
Mrs.  Beynon. 
Daisy  Beynon. 


Kenneth  Beynon. 
Norman  Beynon. 


The  China  Inland  Mission 


Miss  Emily  Whitchurch. 

Mr.  Duncan  Kay. 

Mrs.  Kay. 

Jennie  Kay. 

Mr.  Stewart  M'Kie. 

Mrs.  M'Kie. 

Alice  M'Kie. 

Baby  M'Kie. 

Miss  Jane  Stevens. 

Mrs.  Margaret  Cooper. 

Brainerd  Cooper. 

Mr.  Charles  S.  I' Anson. 

Mrs.  FAnson. 

Dora  I'Anson. 

Arthur  I'Anson. 

Eva  I'Anson. 

Miss  Edith  Dobson. 

Miss  Edith  Searell. 

Mr.  William  G.  Peat. 

Mrs.  Peat. 

Margaretta  Peat. 

Mary  Peat. 

Miss  Maria  Aspden. 

Mr.  George  M'Connell. 

Mrs.  M'Connell. 

Kenneth  M'Connell. 

Mr.  Anton  P.  Lundgren. 

Mrs.  Lundgren. 

Miss  Hattie  Rice. 

Dr.  William  Millar  Wilson, 

Mrs.  Wilson. 

Alexander  Wilson. 


Miss  Mildred  Clarke. 

Miss  F.  Edith  Nathan. 

Miss  Mary  R.  Nathan. 

Miss  Mary  E.  Huston. 

Miss  Margaret  E,  Smith. 

Mr.  John  Young. 

Mrs.  Young. 

Mr.  David  Barratt. 

Mrs.  Glover. 

Faith  Glover. 

Mr.  Alfred  Woodroofe. 

Miss  Eliza  M.  Heaysman. 

Miss  Emma  G.  Hum. 

Miss  Elizabeth  Burton. 

Miss  Annie  Eldred. 

Miss  8.  Annie  King. 

Mr.  Peter  A.  Ogren. 

Mary  Lutley. 

Edith  Lutley. 

Jessie  Saunders. 

Isabel  Saunders. 

Mr.  Nathaniel  Carleson. 

Miss  Mina  Hedlund. 

Mr.  Sven  A.  Persson. 

Mrs.  Persson. 

Mr.  Gustaf  E.  Karlberg. 

Mr.  Oscar  A.  Larsson. 

Miss  Anna  Johannsen. 

Miss  Jennie  Lundell. 

Miss  Justina  Engvall. 

Mr.  Ernest  Petterson. 


i6 


The  Martyrs  of  Shansi 


The  Swedish  Mongolian  Mission 


Mr.  Helleberg. 
Mrs.  Helleberg. 


One  child. 
Mr.  Wahlstedt. 


The  Christian  and  Missionary  Alliance 


Mr.  Emil  Olssen. 
Mrs.  Olssen. 
Three  children. 
Mr.  Noren. 
Mrs.  Noren. 
Two  children. 
Mr.  Bingmark. 
Mrs.  Bingmark. 
Two  children. 
Mr.  Blomberg. 
Mrs.  Blomberg. 
One  child. 
Miss  E.  Erickson. 
Mr.  E.  Anderson. 
Mrs.  Anderson. 


Three  children. 

Mr.  O.  P'orsberg. 

Mrs.  Forsberg. 

One  child. 

Mr.  C.  L.  Lundberg. 

Mrs.  Lundberg. 

Two  children. 

Mr.  M.  Nystrom. 

Mrs.  Nystrom. 

One  child. 

Miss  A.  Gustafson. 

Miss  C.  Hall. 

Mr.  A.  E.  Palm. 

Miss  K.  Orn  (unconnected). 


The  Scandinavian  Alliance  Mongolian  Mission 


Mr.  D.  Sternberg. 
Miss  H.  Lund. 
Mr.  S.  Suber. 


Miss  Clara  Anderson. 
Miss  Hilda  Anderson. 


"God  shal/  wipe  away  every  tear  from  their  eyes  ' 


"  TJie  work  was  done^  the  shadow  on  the  dial 
showed  the  hour^  and  the  workman  was  called 
aiuay  to  his  restT 

GEO.   B.  FARTHING, 

Martyred  at  T'ai  Yiian  Fu, 

^th  July   1900. 


CONTENTS 


PAGE 

Introductory  Note  by  Dr.  Alexander  Maclaren  .  7 

Preface       .  .  .  .  .  .  .11 

List  of  the  Martyrs  of  Shansi  .  .  .        14 

List  of  Illustrations     .  .  .  .  .18 

Introduction         ......        20 

CHAPTER  I 

The    Province    of    Shansi  :     The    Scene    of   the 

Massacre         ......        33 

CHAPTER  II 
The  Spread  of  Boxerism  in  Shansi    .  i  .       48 

CHAPTER  III 
After  the  Massacres      .  ,  .  .  ,111 

CHAPTER  IV 
Persecutions  of  the  Native  Church  .  »  »      173 

CHAPTER  V 
Memorials  and  Last  Letters  .  .  •  »      213 

CHAPTER  VI 

Present  Needs  and  Future  Prospects  •  .      303 


Index  .  .  .  .  .  1  .321 

2 


LIST    OF    ILLUSTRATIONS 


}• 


PAGB 

H.E.  Ts'en  Ch'un  HsiJAN  .  .  .      Frontispiece 

View  of  T'ai  Yuan  Fu  from  the  Central  Tower  .        19 
The  Central  Tower  of  T'ai  Yuan  Fu  .  .32 

A  Road  through  the  Loess 
Crossing  a  River  in  Flood 

Sketch  Map  of  Shansi    .....        48 
Entrance  to  Hospital  Compound,  T'ai  Yuan  Fu  ^ 
Chapel  on  Hospital  Compound,  T'ai  Yuan  Fu      / 
House  in  which  the  Missionaries  were  arrested  -i 
Entrance  to  the  Governor's  YImen  .  .  J 

Entrance  to  the  Cave  House  in  the  Village  of  -j 

Peh  Liang  Shan         .  .  .  •  V        82 

Courtyard  of  Cave  House        ...  J 

Passing  over  the  Loess  Mountains     .  .  "\ 

A  Temple  overlooking  the  T'ai  Yuan  Plain  J 

Certificate  of  Protection        .  .  .  .110 

Sh^n  Tun  Ho        .  .  .  .  •  .120 

Sketch  Map  showing   Route  from  Peking  to  T'ai 

Yuan  Fu  .  .  .  .  ■  .126 

First  Party  of  Protestant  Missionaries  to  enter  -s 

Shansi  after  the  Massacre  .  .  |-      132 

Our  Escort  in  Shansi     ....  J 

Meeting  of  Protestant  Missionaries  and  Officials 

of  Shansi        ......      140 

Memorial  Service,  T'ai  Yuan  Fu         .         -v 

Procession  leaving  the  Prefect's  YAmen    r .  .       146 

Procession  passing  through  the  Streets  J 

18 


40 
48 
60 

72 
82 
96 


List  of  Illustrations  19 


PAGE 

160 
176 


View  of  Cemetery  from  adjacent  Hill  •» 
Pavilion  and  Graves       .  .  .    /     * 

Arrival  of  Procession  at  Cemetery   .    ■) 
Service  at  the  Cemetery  .  .    J      ' 

Reception  of  Mourners  by  the  Resident  Magis- 
trate   ...... 

Mourners  gathered  round  the  Site  of  Martyr- 
dom       ...... 

HsiN  Chou  from  the  South-east         .  .  ^ 

HsiN  Chou.     Memorial  Service  on  the  Site  of   1-      188 
the  Massacre  .....  J 

T'ai  Yuan  Fu  Girls'  School,  1898        .  .  .      199 

Mission  House,  Hospital  Compound,  T'ai  Yuan  Fu 
Ruins  of  above     ..... 

Group  of  Shansi  Missionaries,  taken  at  T'ai  Yuan 

Fu,  1898  ......      212 

Mr.  John  Robinson,   B.A.  (Lond.),   Miss   Duval,  "j 
Miss  Coombs,  Miss  Stewart  ,  ,  / 

Dr.  and  Mrs.  Lovitt       .....      226 

Mr.  T.  W.  Pigott,  Mrs.  Pigott  .  .  -^ 

Wellesley  W.  Pigott,  Mr.  Alexander  Hoddle     / 
Wang  Ten  Ren  and  his  Bride  .  .  .  -^ 

Courtyard  of  a  Buddhist  Temple  near  Shou  Yang  / 
Mr.  Geo.  W.  Stokes,  Mrs.  Stokes  •» 
Mr.  James  Simpson,  Mrs.  Simpson    /   '  '  *        ^ 

In  the  Hospital  Compound,  T'ai  Yuan  Fu   .  .      266 

The  Old  Mission  House,  Shou  Yang  Hsien  .  ■» 

Starting  for  a  Picnic,  Shou  Yang  Hsien     .  J 

Shou  Yang  Hsien  from  the  North     .  .  .      298 

Dr.  Lovitt  and  his  Hospital  Assistants       .  .      312 


206 


2X8 


INTRODUCTION 

DURING  the  summer  of  1900,  while  the  eyes 
of  the  civilised  world  were  turned  towards 
Peking  anxiously  awaiting  news  of  the  beleaguered 
Legations,  far  away  in  the  province  of  Shansi 
helpless  men,  women,  and  children — European  and 
American — were  being  done  to  death.  The  siege 
of  the  Legations  lasted  from  20th  June  to  14th 
August ;  and  as  during  that  time  they  were  almost 
completely  cut  off  from  communication  with  the 
outside  world,  their  probable  fate  was  the  all- 
absorbing  topic.  The  reports  that  the  besieged 
had  been  massacred  were  believed ;  biographical 
notices  of  the  more  prominent  among  them  were 
written,  and  memorial  services  arranged  for.  The 
joy  with  which  the  news  of  the  relief  was  received 
was  commensurate  with  the  previous  suspense,  and 
the  excitement  was  so  great  that  contemporaneous 
events  in  other  parts  of  China  were  almost  over- 
looked except  by  those  immediately  interested. 
Even  now  there  are  but  few  who  realise  that  in 

the  one  province  of  Shansi  alone  one  hundred  and 

20 


Introduction  21 

fifty-nine  foreigners  were  massacred — the  majority 
of  them  at  the  time  the  Legations  were  besieged, 
but  quite  a  number  even  after  the  Allies  had 
taken  possession  of  Peking.  The  one  man 
responsible  for  those  atrocities  was  the  Manchu 
Governor  Yii  Hsien.  When  he  was  appointed 
to  that  post  his  character  was  well  known  to  the 
Ambassadors;  but  they, having  "protested"  because 
of  his  anti  -  foreign  proclivities,  evidently  con- 
sidered that  all  had  been  done  that  was  necessary 
to  protect  the  missionaries  in  that  province  from 
the  rage  of  the  man  who  has  not  been  inaptly 
described  as  the  "  Chinese  Nero." 

After  the  cessation  of  hostilities  the  new 
English  Ambassador  did  not  think  it  advisable 
that  there  should  be  a  judicial  inquiry  into  the 
massacre  of  some  one  hundred  British  subjects  ! 
"  The  missionary  societies  have  placed  their  offering 
upon  the  altar,  and  it  has  been  accepted.  Let 
them  renew  their  offering,"  he  said.  Such  might 
have  been — and  were — the  views  expressed  by 
representatives  of  some  missionary  societies ;  but 
was  it  not  the  duty  of  the  Minister  of  a  Power 
whose  subjects  had  been  massacred  in  defiance  of 
treaties  made,  to  insist  that  inquiry  should  be  held 
and  the  really  guilty  punished  ?  True — some 
officials  had  by  Imperial  decree  been  sentenced 
to  different  degrees  of  punishment,  but  no  proof 


22 


Introduction 


whatever  was  forthcoming  that  such  sentences  had 
been  carried  out. 

Even  with  regard  to  YU  Hsien  himself,  it  is 
not  certain  that  he  was  executed — at  least  half  a 
dozen  stories  having  been  already  published  as  to 
the  manner  of  his  death.  Another  official  whose 
hands  were  red  with  the  blood  of  many  Chinese 
Christians,  and  who  was  responsible  for  the  death 
of  seven  foreigners,  was  sentenced  to  perpetual 
banishment  by  an  Imperial  decree  of  February 
1901  ;  but  when  the  officials  of  T'ai  Yuan  Fu 
applied  to  the  Court  at  Hsi  An  Fu  for  confirma- 
tion before  carrying  it  out,  they  were  told  they 
need  take  no  notice  of  such  decree,  as  it  was  only 
meant  for  Peking !  That  banished  (!)  official  was 
still  in  office  in  September  1 901,  and  in  November 
of  the  same  year,  though  he  had  been  removed 
from  office,  the  sentence  had  not  been  carried  out. 

That  it  has  long  been  the  practice  of  the 
Chinese  Government  to  reinstate  in  office 
Mandarins  degraded  for  encouraging  anti-foreign 
riots,  or  for  their  responsibility  in  the  case  of  the 
massacre  of  foreigners,  is  well  known ;  and  a 
melancholy  interest  now  attaches  to  the  following 
letter  written  by  the  late  Mr.  T.  W.  Pigott  as  far 
back  as  1895  • — 

"  The  cause  ot  riots  and  murders,  including 
heartless  massacres,  in    China   is   so  serious  and 


Introduction  23 

threatening,  so  full  of  future  danger,  and  withal  so 
plainly  revealed  in  the  judgment  of  a  large  number 
of  competent  judges,  that  the  time  is  now  more 
than  ripe  for  laying  the  facts  before  the  public. 

"  Let  us  review  them  briefly. 

"  The  first  which  occurred  after  the  years  of 
security  following  the  burning  of  the  Summer 
Palace  was  the  Yang  Chou  riot  in  1868,  where  the 
Rev.  J.  H.  Taylor  and  colleagues  barely  escaped 
with  their  lives.  This  was  quickly  followed  by 
the  murder  of  the  Rev.  James  Williamson  of  the 
London  Mission,  in  1869.  Though  there  was  no 
failure  of  evidence  as  to  who  the  real  rioters  and 
murderers  were,  yet  none  suffered.  No  strong 
hand  of  English  justice  appeared  to  avenge  an 
Englishman's  blood,  and  the  astonished  Chinese 
learned  how  cheaply  foreign  lives  might  be 
tampered  with,  and  how  easy  it  was  to  check  the 
foreigner  and  to  terrorise  by  deeds  of  violence, 
and  yet  secure  retreat  under  cover  of  endless 
verbiage  and  profuse  professions  of  friendly 
zeal. 

"  No  long  time  sufficed  to  develop  patriotic 
Chinamen  capable  of  bringing  their  new  discovery 
into  efficient  practice.  In  1870  we  have  the 
massacre  of  Tientsin,  where  twenty  Europeans, 
thirteen  of  whom  were  defenceless  ladies,  were 
butchered   through   the   collusion  of   the  Taot'ai, 


24  Introduction 

Prefect,  and  county  magistrate.  Justice  and 
expediency  alike  demanded  stern  and  speedy 
punishment  of  the  guilty  parties,  as  well  as  all 
possible  amends  on  the  part  of  the  Chinese 
Government ;  but  neither  was  effected.  Instead, 
the  chief  official  offender  was  appointed  Com- 
missioner to  France  as  the  bearer  of  a  formal 
apology.  The  other  two  members  of  the  local 
trio  were  sentenced  to  banishment  to  the  province 
of  Manchuria  ! — the  Emperor's  native  home,  and 
a  pet  province  of  the  Empire.  But  even  this 
genteel  sentence  was  never  carried  out,  and  no 
restriction  was  put  on  them.  For  the  twenty 
Europeans  killed,  twenty  poor  men  were  sentenced 
to  be  executed.  How  far  these  had  any  part  in 
the  riot  it  would  be  hard  to  say.  The  Russian 
Minister  refused  to  allow  the  execution  of  four  of 
them  as  satisfaction  for  the  four  Russians  killed, 
not  satisfied  of  their  guilt.  Dr.  Williamson 
records  that — 

" '  The  Government  paid  large  monetary  com- 
pensation to  the  families  of  the  men  who  were 
executed,  permitted  them  to  be  feasted  during 
the  preceding  night,  afterwards  decapitated  in 
grand  robes  said  to  be  a  present  from  the  Govern- 
ment, and  buried  with  honours.' 

"  In  1873  we  have  the  murder  of  Mr.  Margary 
by  Brigadier-General  Li. 


Introduction 


25 


"  Wells  Williams  says  of  this  sad  tragedy  that — 

"  *  The  weight  of  evidence  obtained  at  Yunnan 
Fu  went  to  prove  that  the  repulse  of  the  British 
party  was  countenanced,  if  not  planned,  by  the 
Governor-General,  and  carried  into  effect  with  the 
cognisance  of  Brigadier  Li.' 

"  In  1 884  Admiral  Peng  was  appointed  Imperial 
Commissioner  to  Canton  to  co-operate  with  the 
Viceroy  against  the  French  forces.  Immediately 
upon  his  advent  came  reports  that  Christianity 
was  to  be  suppressed.  He  issued  a  proclamation, 
in  which  he  said  that  China  would  not  hold  herself 
responsible  for  the  destruction  of  foreign-owned 
property  by  popular  violence.  This  was  at  once 
followed  by  such  an  outbreak  as  destroyed 
eighteen  Protestant  stations  and  almost  the  entire 
number  of  Roman  Catholic  ones.  The  same 
official  followed  up  this  by  a  memorial  to  the 
Throne,  in  which  he  spoke  of  Mission  chapels  as 
Heavenly  Lord's  Devil  Halls,  and  did  not  hesitate 
to  recommend  their  destruction  and  the  massacre 
of  the  missionaries.  This  official  enjoyed  high 
favour  at  Peking  up  to  the  day  of  his  death. 

"In  1886  there  were  riots  in  Kiangsi  and 
Szechuan,  evidence  pointing  suspiciously  to  the 
authorities  as  their  authors, 

"  A  German  Consul  who  was  sent  to  investigate 
the  riots  of  Shantung  during    1886  to  i  890,  dis- 


26  Introduction 

covered  the  instigator  to  be  none  other  than  a 
member  of  the  Government. 

"  The  serious  riots  and  murders  in  Central 
China  in  1891  were  found  to  be  carried  on  under 
the  leadership  of  Chou  Han,  a  man  of  Taot'ai 
rank.  Copies  of  documents  before  me  abundantly 
prove  that  the  Governor  of  Hunan  not  only 
approved,  but  abetted  his  design.  In  a  despatch 
to  the  Governor  of  Hupeh  this  Chou  Han 
demanded  the  release  of  the  man  who  had  been 
caught  by  foreigners  in  the  act  of  inciting  the 
people  to  riot  and  murder  at  Hankow  and 
Wuchang,  and  at  their  request  arrested  by  the 
Wuchang  authorities ;  threatening  to  appeal  to 
the  Throne  if  his  demand  was  not  complied  with. 
The  man  was  liberated. 

"A  resident  at  Wuchang,  writing  of  these 
times,  says — 

" '  I  never  believed  that  the  riots  were  an  official 
movement  till  I  saw  how  they  were  put  down  in 
our  city;  .  .  .  We  felt  we  were  living  on  the 
mouth  of  a  volcano,  and  many  a  sleepless  night 
did  I  pass,  waiting  for  those  rioters  whom  we 
were  warned  on  all  hands  to  expect.  But  just  as 
it  seemed  as  if  the  outbreak  could  not  be  staved 
off  another  day,  there  came  a  great  change.  .  .  . 
The  people  looked  pleasant  and  agreeable  again, 
the  very  dogs  seemed  friendly.      I    learned  that 


Introduction  27 

on  the  previous  evening  the  Viceroy  had 
summoned  the  Mandarins  to  his  y^men,  and  that 
they  had  been  rushing  about  all  the  night  in 
consequence. 

" '  Next  I  was  told  of  a  remarkable  interview 
which  the  British  Consul  and  the  commander  of 
the  Archer  had  had  with  the  Viceroy  in  the 
afternoon.  They  had  told  him  plainly  that  the 
firing  of  a  single  missionary  establishment  would 
be  the  signal  for  instant  retaliation  on  the  part  of 
the  war  vessels  in  the  river.  His  Excellency,  it  is 
said,  manifested  great  incredulity,  and  pointed 
out  that  such  an  unwarrantable  proceeding  would 
be  quite  contrary  to  international  law.  However, 
he  was  fortunately  convinced  that  they  were  in 
earnest ;  so  he  called  his  subordinates,  issued  his 
instructions,  and  all  was  changed  in  a  night. 
From  that  time  not  only  has  there  been  no  more 
trouble  threatened  and  no  more  talk  of  uncontrolled 
soldiers  and  people,  but  there  is  hardly  a  hostile 
rumour  even  to  be  heard.  This  was  what  con- 
vinced me  that  the  whole  movement  was  under 
official  control  all  the  time.' 

"  At  Ichang  the  Brigadier-General  and  district 

magistrate    superintended    the    riot    in    1891    in 

person.       The    Shanghai     Daily    News     said — 

Officials  and  soldiers  escorted  the  Sisters.  .  .  . 

As  soon  as  the  bank  of  the  river  was  reached  the 


28  Introduction 

Sisters  were  thrown  in  headlong  over  it  by  the 
very  soldiers  who  aided  in  their  protection  (?)  so 
far.' 

"  At  Sungpu,  where  two  Swedish  missionaries 
were  murdered  in  1893,  beyond  all  possibility  of 
a  doubt  with  official  connivance,  the  magistrates 
exposed  the  bodies  naked,  and  mutilated  with 
nameless  mutilations,  on  the  street  for  four  days. 
The  murderers  have  never  been  punished ;  but, 
instead,  servants  and  those  who  in  any  way 
befriended  the  victims  have  been  tortured  most 
unmercifully,  some  done  to  death,  others  driven 
insane,  while  others  had  to  flee  the  country,  for- 
feiting all  their  possessions. 

"  The  same  year  in  Manchuria  Dr.  Greig  was 
barbarously  assaulted  by  some  of  the  bodyguard 
of  Taot'ai  General  Yeh  of  Kirin,  and  tortured  all 
but  to  death. 

"  The  Szechuan  riots  of  the  summer  were, 
according  to  the  most  trustworthy  accounts, 
planned  and  carried  out  by  the  Viceroy  and  his 
officials,  who,  when  entreated  for  protection,  issued 
proclamations  urging  on  the  rioters.  These  very 
officials  are  now  appointed  on  a  Commission  to 
investigate  the  cause  of  the  riots.  Naturally,  the 
strange  conduct  of  the  British  Minister  in  accept- 
ing such  men  as  Commissioners  has  aroused  the 
indignation  of  all  foreign  residents  in  China,  who, 


^     p 


Introduction  29 

as  well  by  public  meetings  as  by  the  local  press, 
denounce  the  Commission  as  a  dangerous  farce. 
It  seems  incredible  that  our  British  representatives 
could  be  gulled  by  such  fabricated  explanations 
and  excuses  as  the  Chinese  Government  offer,  in 
face  of  the  conclusive  and  overwhelming  evidence 
as  to  the  real  cause  of  the  outrages. 

"  There  has  been  of  late  years  almost  a 
constant  succession  of  outrages,  some  more  and 
some  less  serious,  but  each  and  all  part  of  the 
same  movement,  having  its  origin  and  source  in 
the  Chinese  Government.  Twelve  months  ago 
Mr.  Wylie  was  murdered  in  Manchuria  by  the 
same  General's  troops  that  committed  the  mur- 
derous outrage  on  Dr.  Greig  in  1891.  A  few 
weeks  after  that  murder  we  find  the  following 
paragraph  in  the  local  press  : — 

"  '  The  Kirin  General  whose  bodyguard  attacked 
Dr.  Greig  some  time  ago,  and  whose  soldiers  have 
given  considerable  trouble  by  attacking  chapels 
and  killing  Mr.  Wylie  and  lady  missionaries, 
has  been  promoted  to  the  very  important  post 
of  Tartar  General  in  the  province  of  Fu  Kien.' 

"  And  now  we  have  the  harrowing  details 
of  the  almost  unparalleled  tragedy  of  Ku  Cheng 
in  that  province.  Along  with  this  news  comes 
China's  expression  of  horror  at  the  revolting 
crime,    and    her    ready  excuse    and   explanation, 


30  Introduction 

as  usual  thought  out  and  prepared  beforehand. 
But  the  veil  is  too  thin.  Shedding  of  blood  is 
not  a  principle  of  vegetarianism  in  China  any- 
more than  elsewhere.  Does  not  my  quotation 
from  that  local  press  furnish  the  clue  to  the  real 
culprit?  How  vain  to  accept  China's  protesta- 
tions of  horror  and  verbose  promises  to  bring  the 
perpetrators  of  the  shameless  crime  to  justice, 
while  we  see  her,  publicly  and  barefacedly, 
countenance  the  last  deed  of  blood  by  rewarding 
it  with  high  promotion  !  Until  guilt  is  brought 
home,  not  to  poor  simpletons  of  the  people,  who  as 
likely  as  not  have  no  part  in  it,  but  to  the  high 
officials  and  the  central  Government,  who  seem  to 
be  the  true  instigators,  we  shall,  I  fear,  wear  ever- 
lasting mourning  for  our  murdered  sons  and 
daughters  in  China." 

His  words  proved,  unfortunately,  only  too  true, 
and  it  appears  as  if  this  sad  chapter  was  not  yet 
completed ;  for,  while  we  mourn  his  loss  as  well 
as  that  of  many  others,  the  news  reaches  us  that 
two  more  missionaries  have  been  murdered,  and 
the  guilty  official  so  far  unpunished. 

At  the  same  time  we  should  like  to  place 
beside  the  foregoing  the  following  extract  from 
a  letter  written  by  Mr.  Pigott  in  1896,  when  the 
news  of  the  Armenian  massacres  reached  us  in 
China : — 


Introduction  31 

"I  look  back  on  1879,  when  I  first  reached 
China,  and  am  filled  with  thanksgiving  and  joy 
at  the  change  God  has  wrought,  and  the  more 
than  hundredfold  He  has  given  for  the  labour 
and  treasure  expended  in  this  province  (Shansi). 
When  I  reached  this  province  there  was  not  one 
baptized  Christian  here,  and  only  two  recently 
opened  stations.  Now  there  are  many  hundreds 
of  converts,  many  of  them  earnest,  faithful  men,  and 
a  large  number  of  stations  where  thousands  are 
brought  under  Christian  influence.  How  shall  we 
look  on  the  investment  of  our  lives  and  labour 
here,  even  from  the  near  standpoint  of  one  hundred 
years  hence?  I  am,  I  can  truly  say,  more  grate- 
ful every  day  for  the  opportunity  of  serving 
Christ,  and  I  believe  this  to  be  the  only  true  and 
sober  view  of  life's  realities.  The  work  pressed 
home  now  will  make  all  the  difference.  With 
Armenia  before  us,  we  dare  not  count  too  much 
on  future  years.  How  suddenly  the  work  was 
arrested  there,  and  the  door  shut  against  much 
hoped-for  labour." 

By  both  precept  and  example  he  endeavoured 
to  "  press  home  the  work,"  and,  only  the  week 
before  he  had  to  flee  from  his  station,  baptized 
his  last  four  converts.  To  the  end  he  sought 
opportunities  to  preach  to  the  people,  and  we  may 
be  sure  that  he  never  regretted  the  investment  of 


32  Introduction 

his  life  and  labour.  May  his  example  be  a 
stimulus  to  not  a  few  who  have  both  means  and 
leisure,  to  devote  themselves  and  all  they  have  to 
the  cause  of  God  in  China. 

Since  the  above  was  written  the  important 
news  has  come  to  hand  that,  owing  to  the  firm 
attitude  assumed  by  the  British  Ambassador 
after  the  last  massacre  of  missionaries,  an  Imperial 
decree  was  issued  on  2nd  November,  pointing  out 
that  First  Captain  Liu  (the  military  Mandarin  at 
the  city  where  the  tragedy  occurred),  in  refusing 
to  shelter  one  of  the  missionaries,  was  doubly 
execrable,  and  ordering  his  summary  execution  ; 
the  Brigadier  Yen,  who  made  no  attempt  to 
stop  the  mob,  is  sentenced  to  prison  to  await 
decapitation ;  while  other  severe  punishments  are 
awarded  "  as  a  warning  to  all,"  among  the  culprits 
being  a  grandson  of  the  Grand  Councillor  Wang 
Wen  Shao. 

As  confirming  what  has  been  written  on  this 
subject,  the  North  China  Herald,  in  commenting 
on  the  issue  of  this  edict,  says :  "  It  is  not  much 
credit  to  Sir  Ernest  Satow's  predecessors  at  Peking, 
that,  after  a  long  series  of  massacres,  it  is  only  at 
this  late  date  that  such  a  decree  has  been  forced 
from  the  Throne." 


FIRE    AND    SWORD    IN 
SHANSI 

CHAPTER    I 

The  Province  of  Shansi — The  Scene 
OF  the  Massacre 

LONG  before  the  eventful  year  1900  the 
province  of  Shansi  had  attracted  the 
attention  of  travellers,  scientists,  and  capitalists 
by  its  abounding  mineral  wealth,  first  brought  to 
the  knowledge  of  the  world  by  the  explorations 
of  Baron  von  Richthofen. 

The  name  Shansi  signifies  "  West  of  the  Hills," 
the  province  being  separated  on  the  east  from 
Chihli  by  high  mountain  ranges,  while  the  Yellow 
River  is  the  boundary  which  divides  it  from 
Shensi  on  the  west  and  Honan  on  the  south. 
On  the  north  it  is  bounded  by  Mongolia.  Its 
area  is  about  equal  to  that  of  England  and 
Wales,  and  the  population  is  estimated  to  be 
14,000,000. 

The  eastern  and  western  portions  are  very 
mountainous,  but  between  these  are  several  rich, 
fertile  plains.  The  largest  of  these  is  that  of 
3 


34  Fii*e  ^i^d  Sword  in  Shansi 

T'ai  Yiian,  at  the  northern  end  of  which  is  the 
capital,  T'ai  Yiian  Fu.  This  plain  is  3000  feet 
above  sea-level,  and  is  some  2000  square  miles 
in  area.  It  is  thickly  populated,  containing  eleven 
cities  besides  the  capital,  and  many  hundreds  of 
walled  villages  and  market-towns.  On  the  south 
the  plain  is  bounded  by  the  Ho  Shan  range, 
crossing  which  by  the  Ling  Shih  Pass  we  get  a 
view  of  the  large  Ping  Yang  Fu  plain.  One  of  the 
mountain  peaks  west  of  this  plain  is  pointed  out 
as  the  "  Ararat "  of  China,  and  is  commonly  called 
Ren  Tsu  Shan  (Mountain  of  the  Ancestors  of 
Man) ;  and  the  story  is  told  that,  when  the  whole 
race  was  destroyed  by  a  flood,  two  persons  saved 
their  lives  by  jumping  on  the  backs  of  two  great 
lions,  and  were  carried  by  them  to  the  topmost 
ledge  of  the  mountain,  and  thus  saved  from  the 
general  destruction.  These  two  afterwards  became 
the  parents  of  the  whole  human  race.  On  the  top 
of  the  mountain  is  a  very  old  temple,  erected 
not  to  Ren  Tsu,  as  commonly  reported,  but  to 
Wen  Tsu,  the  Ancestor  of  Literature.  The 
most  noted  and  best  known  of  the  mountains  of 
this  province  is  Wu  Tai  Shan  (the  Five  Peaks), 
the  sacred  Buddhist  retreat,  situated  about  80 
miles  north  of  T'ai  Yiian  Fu ;  and  the  presence  of 
a  living  Buddha  attracts  thousands  of  Mongols 
from  the  north  to  adore  him. 

A  large  part  of  Shansi  is  covered  by  the 
peculiar  loess  formation,  a  brownish  -  coloured 
earth,  extremely  porous,  and,  when  dug,  easily 
powdered  between  the  fingers.     One  of  the  most 


The  Province  of  Shansi 


35 


striking  as  well  as  important  phenomena  of  this 
formation  is  the  perpendicular  splitting  of  its 
mass  into  sudden  and  multitudinous  clefts  that 
cut  up  the  country  in  every  direction,  and  render 
observation  as  well  as  travel  often  exceedingly 
difficult.  The  cliffs  vary  from  cracks  measured 
by  inches  to  canons  half  a  mile  wide  and  hundreds 
of  feet  deep.  The  loess  exhibits,  too,  a  terrace 
formation,  rendering  its  surface  not  only  habitable, 
but  highly  convenient  for  agricultural  purposes. 

The  extreme  ease  with  which  loess  is  cut  away 
tends  at  times  to  seriously  embarrass  traffic. 
Dust  made  by  the  cart  wheels  on  a  highway 
is  taken  up  by  strong  winds  during  the  dry 
season  and  blown  over  the  surrounding  lands. 
This  action,  continued  for  centuries,  and  assisted 
by  occasional  deluges  of  rain,  which  find  a  ready 
channel  in  the  road  bed,  has  hollowed  the  country 
routes  into  depressions  of  often  50  or  100  feet, 
where  the  passenger  may  ride  for  miles  without 
obtaining  a  glimpse  of  the  surrounding  scenery. 

The  rivers  of  Shansi  are  all  very  small.  The 
northern  part  of  the  province  is  drained  by  those 
ending  at  Tientsin,  while  the  Fen  River,  about 
300  miles  long,  drains  the  central  section  and 
then  falls  into  the  Yellow  River. 

Many  wild  animals  are  met  with  in  the 
mountain  recesses,  such  as  the  deer,  leopard, 
and  bear ;  but  the  wolf  is  the  most  numerous 
and  dangerous,  because,  when  hard  pressed  for 
food,  it  will  venture  out  into  the  plain  and  carry 
off  little  children  found  playing  near  the  villages. 


36  Fire  and  Sword  in  Shansi 

Not  a  few  patients  have  been  brought  to  the 
Mission  hospitals  suffering  from  severe  wolf-bites ; 
and  quite  a  number  of  people  are  met  with  dis- 
figured, as  the  result  of  such  injuries. 

The  great  roads  from  Peking  to  the  south-west 
and  west  of  the  empire  pass  through  the  chief 
towns  of  this  province.  Wells  Williams  says 
that,  "  when  new  they  equalled  in  engineering 
and  construction  anything  of  the  kind  ever  built 
by  the  Romans."  At  the  present  time  they  are 
little  more  than  time-worn  tracks ;  in  some  places 
passing  through  rocky  gorges  and  over  difficult 
passes,  and  then  creeping  along  a  ledge  of  loess 
with  a  drop  of  several  hundred  feet  on  the  outer 
side.  In  the  rainy  season  many  of  the  roads  are 
impassable ;  and  on  the  plains  in  the  summer  it 
is  not  at  all  an  unusual  thing  for  the  main  road 
to  be  turned  into  an  irrigation  ditch.  Everything 
has  to  give  way  to  agriculture ;  and  the  patient, 
uncomplaining  carters  will  sometimes  have  to  go 
miles  round  when  their  road  is  blocked  by  the 
local  farmers. 

The  telegraph  line  which  runs  from  Peking  to 
the  west  and  north-west,  where  it  joins  on  to  the 
Russian  system,  passes  through  this  province,  and 
telegraph  offices  for  the  transmission  of  messages 
have  been  opened  at  three  towns — T'ai  Yiian  Fu, 
Ping  Yao  Hsien,  and  Hou  Wa.  A  message 
between  T'ai  Yiian  Fu  and  England  generally 
took  two  days,  and  was  charged  for  at  the  rate 
of  $2.60  (a  little  more  than  5s.)  per  word.  In 
the  autumn  of  1901    a  post  office  was  opened  in 


The  Province  of  Shansi  n^"] 

T'ai  Ytian  Fu  in  connection  with  the  Imperial 
Maritime  Customs,  and  it  was  the  intention  to 
extend  the  service  to  several  other  towns  in  the 
province. 

The  climate  of  Shansi  resembles  to  a  great 
extent  that  of  Eastern  Canada.  The  winter  is 
long  and  dry.  About  the  middle  of  September 
frost  at  night  may  be  expected,  so  that  the 
farmers  strain  every  nerve  to  get  the  crops  in  by 
that  time.  In  January  the  thermometer  will 
occasionally  go  below  zero  at  night,  but  the  bright 
sunshine  during  the  short  day  helps  considerably 
to  tide  one  over  the  winter  months.  It  is  when 
the  winds  from  the  north  blow  that  one  realises 
what  the  cold  is  ;  and  when  this  is  accompanied  by 
a  dust  storm,  which  sometimes  lasts  three  days, 
one's  misery  is  complete  !  Frequently  little  or  no 
snow  falls  in  the  winter,  and  the  consequence  is 
that  the  crops  sown  in  the  autumn  may  entirely 
fail.  Summer  succeeds  winter  without  any  inter- 
vening spring ;  but  it  is  comparatively  short,  and 
the  thermometer  in  the  shade  seldom  registers 
more  than  ioo°  F.,  though  it  occasionally  goes 
up  to  103°  F. 

The  i^ainfall  is  very  uncertain,  as  some  years 
there  may  be  superabundance,  while  at  another 
time  there  may  be  a  scarcity  for  several  years  in 
succession,  causing  either  terrible  famine,  as  in 
1877—79,  or  great  distress,  as  during  the  last  three 
years.  When  the  rain  fails  there  is  very  little 
water  available  for  irrigation,  and  of  course  in  the 
mountainous  regions  that  method  of  watering  the 


38  Fire  and  Sword  in  Shansi 

land  would  be  out  of  the  question.  There  are 
a  few  springs  here  and  there,  but  most  of  the 
water  for  domestic  purposes  is  obtained  from 
wells,  some  of  which  are  very  deep.  The  Shansi 
people  are  experts  in  the  art  of  well-digging,  and 
if  the  supply  of  water  needed  is  not  great  they 
will  dig  down  150  or  even  200  feet  without 
anything  to  support  the  walls.  If  the  well  has 
to  be  large,  they  excavate  till  they  reach  water, 
and  then  on  a  circular  platform  of  willow  planks 
build  with  bricks,  what  will  be  the  bottom  of  the 
well,  to  the  height  of  10  or  12  feet.  This 
brick  structure  is  made  firm  by  binding  poles 
both  inside  and  out.  Relays  of  workmen  then 
dig  out  the  earth  from  under  the  wooden  platform, 
which,  with  the  superimposed  brick  structure, 
sinks  as  the  mud  is  removed.  When  a  sufficient 
depth  has  been  reached  the  poles  are  removed, 
the  earth  filled  in  outside  the  bricks,  to  which 
layer  after  layer  is  added  till  the  top  is  reached. 

While  the  water  supply  is  variable  and  un- 
certain, good  fuel  is  fortunately  in  abundance, 
as  the  coal  formation  of  Shansi  is  probably  the 
largest  in  the  world.  Baron  Richthofen  estimates 
that  the  anthracite  coal  alone  of  Shansi  amounts 
to  630,000,000,000  tons,  and  that  the  coal  area 
of  the  province  is  greater  than  the  area  of  the 
State  of  Pennsylvania. 

The  mines  are  but  imperfectly  worked,  most  of 
the  shafts  in  the  neighbourhood  of  T'ai  Yiian  Fu 
being  horizontal. 

Occasionally    perpendicular    shafts    have    been 


The  Province  of  Shansi 


39 


<  ^ 


CO 
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■up  a. 

O  00   M   OnvO  ^O   1-  vO   ■*  "h 
c  ""  ^o  Tt  r^  ■^  moo  "-  CO  t^    :    : 
'"         lO  (^  *     * 

rp 
rri 

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►H   N   ro  w^vO  1^00  t^vo  Lo  tn  1-1 

o 

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March     . 
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40  Fire  and  Sword  in  Shansi 

sunk,  but  these  mines  are  now  nearly  all  flooded, 
and  await  the  introduction  of  foreign  machinery 
before  they  can  be  worked  again.  A  mining 
engineer,  in  reporting  on  the  coalfield  of  Tseh 
Chou  Fu,  said,  "  Practically,  all  the  coal  is  mined 
through  shafts  which  vary  from  about  50  to  a 
little  over  300  feet.  A  partial  probable  explana- 
tion of  this  circumstance  may  be,  that  the  inferior 
character  of  the  coal  above  the  outcrops  of  the 
bed  causes  the  miners  to  sink  shafts  away  from 
the  outcrops.  Or  it  may  be  that  the  outcropping 
edges  of  the  coal  have  been  mined  away  during 
past  ages,  so  that  the  Chinese  are  now  discouraged 
in  attempts  to  find  the  coal  by  tunnelling." 
Notwithstanding  the  primitive  methods  of  mining, 
the  coal  in  the  neighbourhood  of  the  mines  is 
very  cheap ;  and  in  T'ai  Yiian  Fu  it  is  delivered 
to  the  customer  at  the  rate  of  /s.  per  ton. 

Iron,  too,  is  found  in  abundance  in  more  than 
one  locality,  and  is  extensively  worked,  the 
districts  of  Ping  Ting  Chou  and  Lu  An  Fu  being 
chiefly  noted  for  that  mineral.  Copper  and 
sulphur  are  also  found ;  and  in  the  extreme  south 
there  is  a  remarkable  deposit  of  salt  in  a  shallow 
lake  1 8  miles  long  and  3  broad.  The  salt  is 
evaporated  in  the  sun  under  Government  direc- 
tion, and  brings  in  a  large  revenue.  It  is  said 
that  salt  has  been  obtained  from  that  region  for 
two  thousand  years. 

The  soil  is  productive,  and  easily  worked ;  and 
in  places  where  irrigation  is  possible  two  crops 
can     be    procured    every    year.       The    principal 


E.\  RouTF.  lOK  T'ai  Yi'-AN  Fu. 


P_  '»iiv^m.  ■■'jjf^.i 


A  Ruad  lluduijh  ilic  Loess. 


CriissiuLT  a   River  in   l-'luo 


The  Province  of  Shansi  41 

grains  are :  wheat,  Indian  corn,  various  kinds  of 
millet,  beans,  barley,  and  oats.  Rice  can  be 
grown  in  the  neighbourhood  of  springs,  but 
unfortunately  that  land  is  generally  devoted  to 
the  cultivation  of  opium.  A  large  variety  of 
vegetables  and  fruits  is  grown,  such  as  potatoes, 
cabbages,  lettuces,  onions,  leeks,  etc. ;  and  peaches, 
apricots,  pears,  apples,  dates,  persimmons,  and 
grapes — the  last  being  the  best  and  in  the 
greatest  variety. 

If  the  roads  are  poor,  the  means  of  transport 
are  equally  primitive.  For  the  carriage  of  heavy 
goods  and  farming  operations  rude  springless 
carts  are  employed,  drawn  by  as  many  as  five  or 
six  animals.  The  passenger  carts  are  smaller, 
but  also  springless ;  and  the  traveller  employing 
that  mode  of  conveyance  had  better  be  well 
provided  with  wadded  quilts  to  act  as  "  buffers," 
or  he  will  be  a  sadder — howbeit  wiser — man 
before  a  day's  journey  is  completed.  A  more 
comfortable  mode  of  travelling  is  by  the  "  litter," 
an  enlarged  sedan  chair  carried  by  two  mules — 
one  behind  and  one  in  front.  When  good 
trained  animals  can  be  procured,  together  with 
a  reliable  muleteer,  one  can  get  over  his  30 
miles  per  day  quite  comfortably.  For  carrying 
ordinary  luggage,  not  exceeding  about  150  lb. 
in  weight,  mules  are  also  employed,  the  strongest 
animals  being  able  to  carry  at  least  300  lb. 
and  keep  up  their  30  miles  a  day  for  weeks 
together.  The  sedan  chair  carried  by  bearers  is 
in    Shansi    reserved    almost    exclusively    for    the 


42  Fire  and  Sword  in  Shansi 

highest  officials.  As  to  accommodation  while 
travelling,  at  regular  stages  on  the  main  road  inns 
will  be  found.  These  differ  greatly,  but  all  follow 
one  general  plan.  On  entering  the  main  gate  is 
a  courtyard  for  the  accommodation  of  the  mules 
and  equipages ;  and  at  the  upper  end  of  this,  or 
in  a  separate  enclosure,  are  the  rooms  for  the 
guests.  These  rooms  contain  nothing  but  the 
brick  stove  bed  (k'ang),  a  table  and  a  few  chairs 
— plus  any  amount  of  dirt.  In  the  summer  hosts 
of  vermin  have  to  be  encountered — and  fought ; 
and  while  in  the  winter  they  are  somewhat 
quiescent,  one  has  then  to  run  the  risk  of  being 
suffocated  by  the  fumes  of  the  fire  in  the  brick 
stove  bed,  the  chimney  of  which  frequently  opeiis 
into  the  room. 

Shansi  may  be  regarded  as  the  cradle  of  the 
Chinese  nation ;  for  while  the  origin  of  the  race  is 
shrouded  in  obscurity,  the  first  records  represent 
it  as  a  band  of  emigrants  from  the  north-east 
which  settled  in  the  fertile  plains  of  Shansi  and 
Honan.  Near  the  present  city  of  Ping  Yang  Fu 
lived  and  ruled  the  famous  emperors,  Yao,  Shuen, 
and  Yu  (B.C.  2356-2196)  ;  and  5  miles  south  of 
that  city  was  a  great  memorial  temple  to  these 
three  great  worthies,  the  remains  of  which  could 
be  traced  some  few  years  ago. 

The  present  inhabitants  were,  till  two  years 
ago,  regarded  as  the  most  peaceable  and  law- 
abiding  people  of  the  whole  empire.  Many  of 
them  are  keen  bankers  and  business  people,  one 
of  the  cities — Ping  Yao  on  the  T'ai  Ylian  plain — 


The  Province  of  Shansi  43 

being  regarded  as  the  banking  centre  of  the  whole 
of  China ;  and  Shansi  men  may  be  found  as  bankers 
and  pawnshop-keepers  in  every  province  of  the 
empire. 

Unfortunately,  the  use  of  opium  has  spread 
rapidly  throughout  the  province,  and  now  has 
within  its  toils  a  large  proportion  both  of  the  men 
and  women.  This  is  not  the  place  to  enter  into 
a  discussion  of  the  subject,  but  a  residence  of 
twenty  years  among  the  people  has  but  confirmed 
the  opinion  that  this  is  one  of  the  most  serious 
questions  which  the  Chinese  Government  has  to 
face,  affecting  as  it  does  the  welfare  of  the  whole 
nation. 

The  architecture  of  Shansi  presents  two  notable 
features.  Many  of  the  villages  consist  of  cave 
houses  dug  out  of  the  peculiar  loess  formation, 
the  front  being  built  up  with  brick  or  stone,  with 
door  and  window.  Where  the  position  is  favour- 
able— as  on  a  sloping  hillside — these  houses  rise 
in  terrace  after  terrace  with  just  a  narrow  pathway 
in  front  of  each.  Cool  in  summer,  these  residences 
are  warm  in  winter ;  but  the  great  drawback  is 
that  there  is  no  possibility  of  ventilation.  On  the 
plains,  the  houses  in  many  of  the  villages  are  flat- 
roofed  ;  while  in  others  the  houses  of  the  well-to- 
do  are  far  better  than  any  to  be  found  in  the 
towns.  Not  a  few  of  the  rich  people,  previously 
referred  to  as  bankers  and  traders,  have  their 
family  residences  in  the  villages ;  and  on  the  T'ai 
Yiian  plain  especially  many  of  these  houses 
present  quite  a  castellated   appearance  with  their 


44  Fire  and  Sword  in  Shansi 

high  towers.  Even  where  such  elaborate  structures 
cannot  be  erected,  the  majority  of  the  Shansi  houses, 
with  their  soHd  brick  walls  and  tiled  roofs,  are  in 
great  contrast  to  the  much  poorer  dwellings  of  the 
neighbouring  province  of  Chihli.  As  to  why  the 
people  of  Shansi  are  so  much  better  housed,  the 
story  is,  that  many  years  ago  a  native  of  the  pro- 
vince had  risen  to  be  a  Minister  at  Court.  One 
day  when  in  attendance  on  the  Emperor  it  rained 
very  heavily,  and  the  Minister  began  to  weep. 
"  What  is  the  matter  ?  "  asked  the  Emperor.  "  I 
am  thinking  of  my  poor  father  and  mother  away 
in  Shansi,  who  have  no  proper  shelter  in  such 
weather  as  this."  The  Emperor,  struck  with  his 
fidelity,  at  once  gave  him  permission  to  erect  for 
his  parents  a  substantial  dwelling ;  and  ever  since 
the  people  of  Shansi  have  availed  themselves  of 
the  licence  granted  to  build  for  themselves  superior 
houses  to  those  in  the  adjoining  provinces. 

So  far  as  known,  the  first  Protestant  mission- 
aries to  visit  Shansi  were  Revs.  Alexander 
Williamson  and  Jonathan  Lees,  who  travelled 
extensively  in  North  China  during  the  years 
1869—70 ;  but  the  first  to  go  to  the  province  with 
a  view  to  permanent  settlement  were  Messrs. 
Turner  and  James.  After  a  long  overland  journey 
from  Nanking  they  arrived  at  the  south-east  border 
of  Shansi  in  November  i  876,  and,  passing  through 
several  cities  of  the  Tseh  Chou  Fu  district,  reached 
Ping  Yang  Fu  two  weeks  later.  Having  preached 
and  sold  books  in  seven  walled  cities  and  many 
other  smaller  places,  they  returned  to  Hankow  in 


The  Province  of  Shansi 


45 


January  1877.  A  month  later  they  set  out  on 
a  second  journey  to  the  province,  and  passing 
through  Ping  Yang  Fu  reached  the  capital  in 
April,  and  made  it  their  headquarters  for  several 
months  while  visiting  the  cities  and  towns  of 
the  plain. 

The  terrible  famine  of  1877-79  had  already 
begun  to  claim  its  victims,  and  Mr.  James  became 
so  ill  that  Mr.  Turner  had  to  accompany  him  to 
the  coast.  News  of  the  distress  in  Shansi  had 
reached  the  Treaty  ports ;  and,  two  days  after 
Messrs.  Turner  and  James  had  left  T'ai  Ylian  Fu, 
Rev.  Timothy  Richard  arrived  with  relief  funds. 

Early  in  1878  Mr.  Turner  was  on  his  way 
back  to  Shansi  with  further  relief,  and  was  accom- 
panied by  Rev.  A.  Whiting  of  an  American 
Mission,  and  Rev.  David  Hill  of  the  Wesleyan 
Mission,  Hankow.  Mr.  Whiting  was  not  permitted 
to  do  much  work,  for  soon  after  arrival  he  was 
taken  ill  with  typhus  fever,  and  died  on  25  th 
April.  That  summer  Messrs.  Turner  and  David 
Hill  visited  the  prefecture  of  Ping  Yang  Fu  to 
distribute  famine  relief,  and  saved  many  lives. 

The  first  ladies  to  visit  the  province  were  Mrs. 
Hudson  Taylor,  Miss  Home,  and  Miss  Crickmay 
(now  Mrs.  Turner),  who  arrived  in  T'ai  Yiian  Fu 
on  23rd  Oct.  1878.  A  few  days  later  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  James,  and  subsequently  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Richard,  arrived.  The  single  ladies  opened  schools 
for  the  orphan  girls  who  had  been  received  after 
the  famine. 

In  1880  the  first  Medical  Mission  in  Shansi  was 


46  Fire  and  Sword  in  Shansi 

opened  by  the  late  Dr.  Harold  Schofield ;  and 
about  the  same  time  the  first  members  of  the 
Oberlin  Band  of  the  American  Board  Mission 
entered  the  province,  and,  after  studying  the  lan- 
guage, occupied  the  two  stations  of  T'ai  Ku  Hsien 
and  Fen  Chou  Fu.  The  China  Inland  Mission 
during  the  next  few  years  opened  several  stations 
south  of  the  T'ai  Yiian  plain,  while  the  Baptist 
Mission  extended  its  operations  northwards. 

In  the  district  between  the  two  arms  of  the 
Great  Wall  in  the  north,  work  was  commenced  in 
1886,  when  Mr.  Thomas  King  of  the  China 
Inland  Mission  opened  a  station  at  Ta  T'ung  Fu. 
At  the  time  of  the  outbreak  this  station  was 
occupied  by  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Stewart  M'Kie,  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  I'Anson,  and  two  single  ladies.  Within 
the  same  district  the  cities  of  So  Ping  Fu,  Hun 
Yiian  Hsien,  and  Ying  Chou  had  been  occupied 
by  members  of  the  Swedish  Holiness  Mission, 
Associates  of  the  C.I.M.,  by  whom  much  valuable 
itinerate  work  has  been  done. 

In  the  extreme  north  the  cities  of  Kwei  Hwa 
Ch^ng  and  Pao  T60  were  occupied  in  1886  by 
Messrs.  Geo.  W.  Clarke  and  W.  T.  Beynon  of  the 
C.I.M.,  and  during  the  following  years  much  itiner- 
ate work  was  done  and  a  few  converts  gathered. 
In  1893  ^  large  band  of  new  workers  of  the 
Christian  Missionary  Alliance  went  to  that  district, 
and  the  two  C.I.M.  stations  were  used  by  them  as 
training  homes  until  they  could  obtain  some 
knowledge  of  the  language  and  people.  Later  on 
these  two  stations  were  handed  over  to  them,  and 


The  Province  of  Shansi 


47 


the  whole  area  outside  the  northern  arm  of  the 
Great  Wall  was  allotted  to  that  Mission. 

Statistics  can  never  convey  an  accurate  impres- 
sion of  the  results  of  Mission  work,  but  it  may  be 
stated  that,  while  in  1880  there  were  12  mis- 
sionaries (including  the  wives  and  single  ladies) 
in  the  province  and  no  baptized  converts,  in  1898 
the  number  of  missionaries  was  151,  many  of 
whom  had  only  been  in  China  a  few  years,  and 
the  members  of  the  different  churches  in  good 
standing  numbered    i  5  1 3. 


CHAPTER    II 

The  Spread  of  Boxerism  in  Shansi 

IT  is  now  recognised  by  those  foreigners  who 
have  taken  the  trouble  to  make  inquiries, 
as  well  as  by  the  Chinese  authorities  themselves, 
that  if  one  man  more  than  another  was  respon- 
sible for  the  troubles  of  1900,  that  man  was  the 
Manchu  Yu  Hsien  ;  and  it  will  be  instructive  to 
trace  a  little  of  his  history. 

In  1898  two  German  missionaries  were 
murdered  in  the  province  of  Shantung,  and 
at  the  request  of  the  German  Ambassador  the 
then  Governor,  Li  Ping  Heng,  was  dismissed  from 
office ;  and  the  edict  in  the  Peking  Gazette  dis- 
missing him  contained  the  words  "  yung  puh  ti 
yung"  (not  to  be  mentioned  for  employment 
again).  The  same  man  not  long  after  was  put 
into  a  new  and  highly  influential  position,  created 
for  his  sole  use,  where  his  power  was  almost 
unlimited.  In  1899  this  Li  Ping  Heng  recom- 
mended to  the  Throne,  as  one  loyal  and  patriotic 
and  to  be  implicitly  trusted,  Yu  Hsien  ;  and  he 
was  rapidly  promoted  from  one  post  to  another, 
until  in  March  of  that  year  he  was  made  Governor 


^ 


oo 


un 


oo 

CO 


The  Spread  of  Boxerism  in  Shansi      49 

of  Shantung.  He  only  held  that  office  for  eight 
months,  but  during  that  time  he  gave  a  new  lease 
of  life  to  the  Boxers,  and  left  a  track  of  ruin 
behind  him.  Hundreds  of  native  Christian  families 
were  rendered  homeless,  many  were  killed  ;  and  the 
Boxers,  unchecked,  looted,  burned,  and  killed  with 
the  tacit  approval  of  the  Governor.  On  26th 
December  Yii  Hsien  was  removed  under  foreign 
pressure,  and  replaced  by  General  Yiian  Shih  Kai ; 
but,  although  supposed  to  be  in  disgrace  for  his 
failure  to  suppress  the  rioters,  he  was  received 
with  honour  by  the  Court  in  Peking,  and  presented 
with  a  scroll  written  by  the  hand  of  the  Empress 
Dowager  herself — a  mark  of  high  favour. 

On  31st  December,  immediately  after  Yii 
Hsien  had  resigned  his  office,  and  as  a  natural 
consequence  of  his  course,  the  Rev.  S.  P.  Brooks 
of  the  Anglican  Mission  was  barbarously  murdered 
by  the  Boxers. 

Two  of  the  most  well-known  missionaries  in 
China — Dr.  Arthur  H.  Smith  and  Dr.  H.  P.  Porter 
— who  had  been  in  the  centre  of  the  trouble  from 
the  beginning,  drew  up  a  memorandum  of  charges 
against  Yii  Hsien  to  guard  against  the  possibility 
of  his  reappointment,  sending,  on  22nd  January 
1900,  one  copy  to  the  military  Governor  and 
another  to  the  American  Minister,  Major  Conger. 
It  is  so  important,  as  clearly  proving  that  the 
true  character  of  the  ex-Governor  of  Shantung 
was  known  even  then,  that  it  will  be  well  to  quote 
it  in  full. 


50  Fire  and  Sword  in  Shansl 

"Memorandum  of  Charges  against  H.  E. 
Yu   HsiEN,  late  Governor  of  Shantung. 

"  That  knowing  the  existence  of  the  I  Ho 
Ch'uan  in  this  province  on  a  large  and  threaten- 
ing scale,  a  society  wholly  contrary  to  the 
Imperial  laws,  and  in  previous  reigns  severely 
punished,  he  took  no  steps  to  antagonise  it : 
That,  after  a  fight  had  taken  place  in  October 
between  the  provincial  troops  and  the  Boxers, 
the  said  Governor  was  very  angry  that  about  a 
hundred  of  the  latter  had  been  killed,  although 
told  by  the  military  officials  that  the  encounter 
was  unavoidable :  That  he  then  secured  the 
degradation  of  the  Prefect  and  of  the  Hsien  of 
Ping  Yuan,  not  for  allowing  this  rebellion  to  go 
unchecked,  but  for  trying  at  last  to  stop  it :  That 
he  dismissed  the  military  commander  in  charge  at 
the  time,  and  employed  him  no  more  for  this 
reason  :  That  he  encouraged  the  Boxers  by 
releasing  the  prisoners  taken  in  that  action, 
requiring  no  guarantee  of  good  behaviour,  to 
the  immediate  encouragement  of  the  leaders, 
who  had  been  ready  to  give  up  the  cause  after 
this  fight :  That  he  secretly  promoted  and 
fomented  the  rebellion  by  refusing  to  allow  the 
troops  to  fight,  repeatedly  sending  them  into  the 
field  with  these  implicit  orders :  That  his  well- 
known  attitude  was  immediately  influential  in 
strengthening  the  rebellion,  and  was  the  direct 
cause  of  the  murder  of  the  late  Mr.  Brooks,  as 
much   as  if   the    late  Governor    had    despatched 


The  Spread  of  Boxerism  in  Shansl       5 1 

him  with  his  own  hand  :  That  in  a  secret 
memorial  to  the  Throne  he  advocated  the  em- 
ployment of  the  I  Ho  Ch'uan  as  an  agency 
for  driving  foreigners  out  of  the  province,  thus 
giving  an  official  sanction  to  the  movement : 
That,  for  all  the  complicated  storm  of  ruin  in 
which  so  large  a  part  of  Shantung  has  been 
involved  for  so  many  months,  Yii  Hsien  is 
directly  responsible.  We  think  that  the  Foreign 
Powers  interested  in  the  good  government  of 
this  province  ought  to  insist  that  he  be  degraded, 
and  the  edict  should  be  published  in  the  PeJdng 
Gazette  with  the  phrase  '  never  to  be  mentioned 
for  employment  again,'  and  his  conduct  should  be 
assigned.  Also  that  the  said  Powers  should  see 
to  the  perpetual  enforcement  of  this  punishment,  as 
only  an  adequate  guarantee  of  peace  in  thisprovince. 
(To  demand  the  issuing  of  such  a  decree  and  then 
let  it  lapse  into  '  innocuous  desuetude '  would  be 
much  worse  than  not  to  demand  it.)  "  ^ 

The  English  Ambassador,  Sir  Claude  Mac- 
donald,  also  knew  this  man's  character,  for  in  his 
despatch  to  the  Tsung  Li  Yamen  on  1 7th  January 
he  says  :  "  The  whole  of  the  present  difficulty  can 
be  traced  to  the  attitude  of  the  late  Governor  of 
Shantung,  who  secretly  encouraged  the  seditious 
society  known  as  *  The  Boxers.'  " 

Notwithstanding  this,  in  two  months'  time — 
that  is,  on  i  5  th  March — Yii  Hsien  the  degraded 
was  appointed  Governor  of  Shansi.  The  Ambas- 
^  The  Boxer  Rising.     Shanghai,  Aug.  1 901. 


52  Fire  and  Sword  in  Shansi 

sadors  "  protested,"  but  did  nothing  else  to  induce 
the  Chinese  authorities  to  cancel  the  appointment, 
and  made  no  further  effort  to  save  the  two 
hundred  odd  missionaries  who  were  in  that  pro- 
vince from  a  man  who  had  already  shown  himself 
so  distinctly  anti  -  foreign.  Smarting  under  the 
rebuff  received  in  Shantung,  his  bitterness  towards 
foreigners  was  increased,  and  he  took  with  him 
into  Shansi  Boxer  experts,  who  were  to  train  the 
people  of  that  province  in  the  Boxer  arts. 

Up  to  that  time  the  inhabitants  of  Shansi  had 
been  noted  for  their  docility,  no  serious  disturb- 
ance of  any  kind  having  occurred  during  the  more 
than  twenty  years  of  Protestant  missionary  work 
among  them ;  and  it  needs  some  explanation  to 
account  for  the  people  taking  up  the  Boxer  cause 
with  the  alacrity  they  did. 

In  the  first  place,  it  must  be  remembered  that 
since  the  great  famine  of  1877—79  there  had 
been  an  influx  into  Shansi  of  thousands  of 
strangers  from  the  province  of  Shantung,  who 
had  been  driven  from  their  own  homes  by  floods, 
etc.  Being  very  poor,  they  were  the  first  to  feel 
the  pinch  of  hunger  through  the  prolonged 
drought  in  their  adopted  province,  and  the 
consequent  rise  in  the  price  of  grain.  Yii 
Hsien's  Boxer  leaders  were  Shantung  men,  and 
went  first  of  all  to  their  fellow-provincials,  among 
whom  they  found  many  willing  recruits.  But 
the  infection  soon  spread  to  the  people  of  the 
province,  for  it  was  part  of  the  Boxer  propaganda 
to  accuse  the  missionaries  and  Christians  of  being 


The  Spread  of  Boxerism  in  Shansi       53 

the  cause  of  the  long-continued  drought.  Many 
of  the  people  remembered  the  horrors  of  the 
terrible  famine  which  had  devastated  their  pro- 
vince twenty  years  before,  and  were  willing  to  do 
anything  to  avert  such  another  catastrophe. 

Some  of  the  more  intelligent  of  the  native 
Christians  were  of  the  opinion  that  the  animus 
against  them  was  increased  because  they  would 
not  contribute  towards  the  local  theatrical  enter- 
tainments, which  are  always  connected  with  idola- 
trous festivals,  and  frequently  obscene.  It  can 
scarcely  be  conceived  by  foreigners  (to  whom  these 
theatrical  displays  are  senseless  and  absurd)  what 
a  hold  they  have  upon  the  people,  and  what 
immense  sums  are  spent  upon  them  every  year. 
In  times  of  drought  they  are  more  frequently  held, 
in  the  hopes  that  the  extra  attentions  paid  the  gods 
will  induce  them  to  send  the  much  needed  rain. 

The  officials  evidently  thought  that  the  refusal 
of  the  Christians  to  pay  the  theatrical  dues  was 
one  of  the  reasons  why  they  were  disliked  by 
their  heathen  neighbours ;  for,  when  the  mission- 
aries returned  to  the  province  in  1901,  among  the 
proposals  submitted  by  the  officials  for  the  settle- 
ment of  affairs  was  the  following  :  "  The  crime  of 
Shansi  in  killing  so  many  Christians  is  certainly 
great,  but  was  due  to  the  fact  that  the  people 
regard  the  theatricals  as  very  important,  and  the 
Christians  do  not  help  to  pay  for  them.  It  would 
be  good  to  have  no  theatricals  for  a  short  time. 
The  Christians  should  not  be  asked  to  contribute 
towards  idolatrous  rites,  but  if  they  wish  to  go  to 


54  Fire  and  Sword  in  Shansi 

the  theatre  they  should  help  to  pay  expenses." 
The  officials  further  asked  the  missionaries  to  urge 
the  Christians  to  pay  such  dues  in  order  to  prevent 
future  troubles.  To  this  request  there  was,  of 
course,  but  one  answer ;  and  it  was  further  ex- 
plained to  the  officials  that  attendance  at  theatres 
was  not  only  discountenanced  by  the  Protestant 
Church  in  China,  but  that  if  any  member  was 
found  to  frequent  them  habitually  he  was  dis- 
ciplined. 

The  people  implicitly  believed  the  absurd  stories 
assiduously  spread  among  them  by  the  Boxers, 
and  not  a  few  of  them  were  in  abject  terror  and 
carried  away  with  a  frenzy.  The  old  fable  of 
foreigners  and  Christians  cutting  out  and  scatter- 
ing the  figure  of  a  man  in  paper,  which  in  a  few 
days  came  to  life  and  then  had  the  power  of  doing 
much  harm,  was  revived,  and  gained  credence.  It 
was  further  said  that  men  (more  especially  beggars) 
were  hired  by  the  Christians  to  poison  the  village 
wells,  and  make  a  mark  with  some  red  substance 
on  the  doors  of  the  houses — the  inhabitants  of  the 
houses  so  marked  being  sure  to  get  ill,  and  perhaps 
die.  A  scurrilous,  anti  -  foreign  pamphlet,  which 
was  widely  circulated  through  the  province,  stated 
that  foreign  vessels  seized  at  the  coast  had  been 
found  to  contain  large  quantities  of  human  blood, 
eyes,  and  the  nipples  of  women's  breasts ! !  If 
anyone  into  whose  hands  the  pamphlet  fell 
made  one  copy  and  gave  it  to  a  friend,  he  was 
promised  immunity  from  all  evil  for  himself;  if 
he  gave  away  ten  copies,  all  his  family  would  be 


The  Spread  of  Boxerism  in  Shansi       55 

safe ;  but  if  he  distributed  one  hundred,  his  whole 
village  would  be  similarly  benefited. 

So  great  was  the  terror  spread  by  these  reports 
that  numberless  persons  were  killed  who  had  no 
connection  with  Christianity  whatever,  for,  in  con- 
sequence of  the  long-existing  drought,  many  people 
were  wandering  about  picking  up  a  precarious 
living ;  and  not  a  few  of  them  were  accused  of 
being  in  the  pay  of  foreigners,  and  killed  at  sight. 
It  was  extremely  dangerous  even  for  respectable 
foot-travellers  to  go  about  singly,  especially  if  they 
happened  to  stop  at  a  village  well  to  drink. 
Immediately  they  might  be  seized  and  their 
belongings  searched,  to  see  if  they  had  anything 
in  the  shape  of  medicine  with  which  they  could 
poison  the  water.  For  months  many  of  the 
village  wells  w'ere  guarded  day  and  night ;  and 
even  in  T'ai  Yuan  Fu  the  well-to-do  people  for 
three  months  would  not  drink  any  water  drawn 
from  the  city  wells,  or  employ  the  usual  water 
carriers,  but  made  their  own  servants  fetch  a 
supply  from  special  wells  outside. 

From  this  it  will  be  clear  that  no  more  fertile 
soil  could  have  been  found  for  the  transplanting 
of  Boxerism  than  that  chosen  by  Yii  Hsien,  Thus 
it  w^as  that  the  movement  spread  like  wildfire  in 
Shansi,  and  the  quiet  law-abiding  people  of  the 
province  were  suddenly  turned  against  everything 
foreign ;  for  it  must  be  remembered  that  the 
movement  in  its  inception  was  first  anti-foreign, 
and  then  anti-Christian  because  anti-foreign, 

Yii    Hsien   arrived    as  Governor  of  Shansi   on 


56  Fire  and  Sword  in  Shansi 

19th  April,  and  a  week  later  Boxer  placards  were 
posted  up  and  sold  in  different  cities.  Soon  after, 
the  Boxer  leaders  brought  by  the  Governor  from 
Shantung  appeared  in  several  towns  in  central 
Shansi  and  commenced  gathering  recruits  and 
instructing  them  in  the  Boxer  arts  and  drill.  By 
the  middle  of  May  they  were  ready  for  work,  and 
began  operations  by  attacking  the  house  of  a 
Chinese  Christian — Elder  Szu — at  the  village  of 
Fan,  in  the  district  of  Hung  Tung  Hsien.  They 
seriously  wounded  the  elder,  plundered  his  house, 
and  carried  away  the  silver  and  other  valuables, 
offering  to  the  bystanding  crowd  the  things  they 
did  not  want,  and  breaking  the  remainder  in  pieces. 
They  then  made  their  way  to  a  neighbouring 
district,  and  for  some  days  lived  in  a  temple  not 
7  miles  from  the  prefectural  city  of  Ping  Yang 
Fu,  where  several  missionaries  were  residing. 

Very  soon  after,  other  outrages  were  committed  ; 
and,  as  the  local  officials  appeared  to  be  in  league 
with  the  Boxers,  the  missionaries  at  Ping  Yang  Fu 
determined  to  send  a  statement  of  the  facts  to  the 
Rev.  G.  B.  Farthing  of  the  English  Baptist  Mission 
at  T'ai  Yuan  Fu,  and  leave  it  to  his  discretion  as 
to  whether  he  should  report  it  or  not  to  the 
Taot'ai — the  official  then  entrusted  with  the  care 
of  foreign  affairs.  An  accurate  and  detailed  state- 
ment was  therefore  written  out  and  sent.  Mr. 
Farthing,  knowing  the  Governor's  anti  -  foreign 
propensities,  and  not  being  sure  of  the  Taot'ai's 
position,  thought  it  best  to  lay  the  plain  statement 
of  facts    before    the    latter    without  comment  or 


The  Spread  of  Boxerism  in  Shansi       57 

appeal ;  and  this  he  did.  The  Taot'ai's  reply  was 
considered  very  satisfactory,  as  in  it  he — in  con- 
junction with  the  Fant'ai  (provincial  Treasurer) 
and  Nieht'ai  (provincial  Judge) — ordered  that 
the  offenders  should  be  brought  to  justice  at  once 
and  the  Christians  protected.  The  magistrate  of 
Hung  Tung  Hsien  had  himself  reported  to  the 
Governor  the  outbreaks  which  had  occurred  within 
his  jurisdiction ;  and  subsequently  Mr.  Farthing 
secured  a  copy  of  the  Governor's  reply,  but  this 
was  not  so  unequivocal. 

Postal  communication  between  Shansi  and  the 
coast  ceased  at  the  end  of  May ;  most  of  the  last 
letters  received  from  the  missionaries  (other  than 
those  subsequently  left  with  servants)  being  dated 
about  13th  May.  A  Mission  courier  who  took 
later  letters  was  arrested  by  Boxers  at  Ting  Chou, 
50  miles  south-west  of  Pao  Ting  Fu,  who  cut 
open  his  mail-bags,  destroyed  their  contents,  and 
would  have  killed  him  but  for  the  intervention 
of  some  bystanders,  who  begged  for  his  life  on  the 
plea  that  he  was  merely  employed  by  foreigners. 

Meantime  matters  were  developing  very  rapidly 
in  the  neighbourhood  of  Peking  and  Tientsin 
which  seriously  affected  Shansi.  On  29th  May 
the  railway  between  Peking  and  Tientsin  was  torn 
up ;  and  two  days  later  Mr.  Robinson  of  the 
S.P.G.  was  murdered,  and,  the  day  after,  Mr. 
Norman  of  the  same  Mission.  On  8th  June  at 
Tung  Chou — some  13  miles  east  of  Peking — 
there  was  a  massacre  of  Christians ;  and  on  the 
I  ith  the  Chancellor  of  the  Japanese  Legation  was 


58  Fire  and  Sword  in  Shansi 

murdered  at  one  of  the  gates  of  Peking.  On  the 
I  3th  the  Boxers  entered  that  city,  and  two  days 
later  took  possession  of  the  native  city  of  Tientsin. 
The  Taku  forts  were  taken  by  the  fleets  of  the 
Allied  Powers  on  the  17th;  and  on  the  20th  the 
German  Minister  at  Peking  was  murdered,  and  the 
siege  of  the  Legations  commenced. 

When  tidings  of  these  earlier  events  reached 
England  great  anxiety  was  felt  for  the  safety  of  the 
missionaries  in  Shansi,  and  on  the  12th  of  June  a 
telegram  was  despatched  to  T'ai  Yiian  Fu  saying, 
"  We  are  anxious  for  your  safety."  A  reply  was 
received  on  the  22nd,  dated  the  20th,  with  just  the 
two  words,  "  Safe,  hopeful."  These  hopes  were 
soon  to  be  rudely  dispelled,  for  (as  was  ascertained 
just  a  year  afterwards,  when  the  city  was  visited 
by  Protestant  missionaries  for  the  first  time  after 
the  massacres)  on  the  25  th  of  that  month  a 
proclamation  —  evidently  the  substance  of  the 
Imperial  decree  of  21st  June — was  posted  up  at 
the  telegraph  office,  the  gist  of  which  was  that 
war  had  begun  at  Taku,  the  Boxers  having 
destroyed  two  foreign  warships.  It  stated  that 
as  a  result  the  Emperor  was  extremely  pleased, 
and  further,  "  now  even  children  were  able  to  use 
the  sword  and  protect  the  empire,  and  did  not 
ask  the  Government  for  money  or  rations."  It 
concluded  by  saying :  "  Foreign  religions  are  reck- 
less and  oppressive ;  disrespectful  to  the  gods  and 
oppressive  to  the  people.  The  righteous  people 
will  burn  and  kill.  Your  judgments  from  heaven 
are  about    to  come.     Turn    from    the    heterodox 


The  Spread  of  Boxerism  in  ShansI       59 

and  revert  to  the  true.  Is  it  not  benevolence  to 
exhort  you  people  of  the  Church  ?  Therefore  early- 
reform.  If  you  do  your  duty  you  are  good  people. 
If  you  do  not  repent  there  will  be  no  opportunity 
for  after-regret.  For  this  purpose  is  this  procla- 
mation put  forth.      Let  all  comply  with  it." 

The  next  day  (26th  June)  an  Imperial  decree 
was  posted  up  at  the  same  place,  which  said : 
"  At  present  the  Boxers  are  collecting  at  Tientsin 
and  all  adjacent  places,  but,  as  they  have  no 
leaders,  Tuan  Wang  and  K'ang  Ih  have  received 
orders  to  take  that  place ;  the  Boxers  are  to  be 
given  two  hundred  piculs  of  rice,  and  on  the  ist 
day  of  the  sixth  moon  (27th  June)  are  to  receive 
one  hundred  thousand  taels  as  a  reward."  This 
decree  was  evidently  published  throughout  the 
whole  province  at  the  same  time,  for  from  evidence 
subsequently  gathered  it  is  known  that  trouble 
broke  out  simultaneously  at  nearly  every  Mission 
station,  though  in  some  cases  the  crisis  was  reached 
more  rapidly  than  in  others. 

THE    MASSACRE   OF    T'AI    YUAN    FU. 

T'ai  Yiian  Fu  being  the  seat  of  the  Governor — 
the  notorious  Yu  Hsien — the  fury  of  the  storm 
naturally  broke  over  that  city ;  and,  though  it 
was  not  actually  the  first  place  to  suffer,  it  will  be 
well  to  begin  by  describing  the  sad  events  which 
occurred  there,  and  then  follow  the  spread  of  the 
storm  first  to  the  south  and  then  to  the  north  of 
that  city. 


6o  Fire  and  Sword  in  Shansi 

As  the  missionaries  resident  there  on  that  date 
were  all  subsequently  massacred,  it  will  be  as  well 
to  mention  their  names  at  once.  In  connection 
with  the  English  Baptist  Mission  were  Rev.  G.  B. 
Farthing,  Mrs.  Farthing,  and  three  children  ;  and 
Rev.  F.  S.  and  Mrs.  Whitehouse.  Miss  Ellen  M. 
Stewart  was  there  as  governess  to  Mrs.  Farthing's 
children.  Two  visitors  were  staying  with  Mrs. 
Farthing  at  the  time — Miss  Janet  Stevens  and 
Miss  Mildred  Clarke,  both  of  the  China  Inland 
Mission.  Rev.  W.  T.  Beynon,  the  agent  of  the 
British  and  Foreign  Bible  Society,  with  his  wife 
and  three  children,  occupied  a  house  not  far  from 
Mr.  Farthing's;  and  Mr.  Alexander  Hoddle,  an 
independent  missionary,  lived  in  the  same  com- 
pound but  in  a  different  courtyard.  The  premises 
of  the  Schofield  Memorial  Hospital  were  occupied 
by  Dr.  and  Mrs.  Lovitt,  with  their  little  son  John  ; 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  George  Stokes  ;  Mr.  and  Mrs,  James 
Simpson ;  and  Miss  Edith  A.  Coombs,  who  had 
charge  of  the  girls'  school,  occupied  with  her 
scholars  one  corner  of  the  compound.  Dr.  and 
Mrs.  William  Millar  Wilson  of  the  China  Inland 
Mission,  with  their  little  son  Alexander,  were 
there  as  visitors,  Mrs.  Wilson  and  her  child  having 
arrived  about  9th  June,  while  Dr.  Wilson  had  only 
arrived  on  the  26th. 

These  were  all  located  not  far  from  the  south- 
east corner  of  the  city ;  while  close  to  the  north 
gate  were  the  Roman  Catholic  premises — a  very 
large  compound,  containing  a  cathedral  capable 
of  accommodating  about  one  thousand  people ;  a 


Entrance  to  Hospital  Compound,  T'ai  Viian  Fu, 

showing  gateway  (X)  through  which  missionaries  escaped,  and  scene  of 

Miss  COOMES'  martyrdom. 


J.*^  ' 


W 


*»  •»■  m- 


**•! 


Chapel  on  IIr)spital  Compound,  T'ai  ^'^■K^n   l-'u.  now  in  ruins. 


The  Spread  of  Boxerism  in  Shansi      6i 

seminary  for  training  native  priests ;  a  girls' 
orphanage,  etc.  The  foreigners  living  there  at  the 
time  were  two  bishops,  seven  Sisters  of  Mercy, 
with  several  priests  and  lay  brothers. 

27th  June,  according  to  the  Chinese  calendar, 
was  the  first  day  of  the  sixth  moon,  and  the  girls' 
school  had  that  day  been  dismissed  for  the  summer 
holidays,  those  scholars  living  in  the  city  having 
returned  to  their  homes,  and  only  eleven  remaining 
— those  residing  at  a  distance  and  others  who  had 
no  home  to  go  to.  On  the  morning  of  that  day 
things  appeared  as  quiet  as  usual,  and  some  thirty 
out-patients  attended  the  dispensary,  who  were 
seen  by  Dr.  Lovitt  himself.  A  few  in-patients, 
both  male  and  female,  were  still  in  the  hospital. 
In  the  afternoon  Dr.  Lovitt  and  another  mission- 
ary, hearing  of  the  decree  which  had  been  posted 
at  the  telegraph  office  the  day  before,  went  to  see 
it  for  themselves ;  but  as  it  had  no  official  seal 
they  determined  to  take  no  notice  of  it.  About 
five  o'clock  Mrs.  Wilson  went  with  her  little  son 
Alexander  in  the  mission  cart  to  Mrs.  Farthing's 
house,  where  she  was  to  spend  the  evening ;  but 
Dr.  Wilson  did  not  accompany  her  on  account  of 
a  temporary  indisposition. 

According  to  a  previous  arrangement,  the 
carter  on  his  return  was  to  call  at  Mr.  Beynon's 
house  to  bring  Mrs.  Beynon  and  her  three 
children  to  the  hospital  compound  to  be  company 
for  Miss  Coombs,  who  was  the  only  foreigner 
living  in  the  girls'  schools.  This  he  had  done ; 
and  they  had  actually  come  within  sight  of  the 


62  Fire  and  Sword  in  Shansi 

hospital  when  they  saw  the  crowd  collecting  at 
the  main  entrance,  and  wisely  turned  back.  This 
was  about  six  o'clock.  The  first  to  create  a 
disturbance  were  a  few  lads  and  boys,  mostly 
Manchus ;  and  the  missionaries  went  to  the  main 
entrance  to  speak  with  them,  hoping  they  would 
disperse,  but  were  met  by  a  shower  of  stones,  and 
had  to  retire  and  report  the  condition  of  affairs  to 
those  who  were  anxiously  awaiting  their  return. 
The  crowd  at  the  front  gate  rapidly  grew,  and  with 
the  increase  of  numbers  their  courage  rose. 

Stimulated  by  the  cries  of  "  Burn,"  "  Kill,"  they 
first  set  fire  to  the  waiting-room  adjoining  the 
street ;  and  the  missionaries,  seeing  that  mischief 
was  really  intended,  at  once  took  steps  to  acquaint 
their  friends  with  the  danger  of  their  position, 
and  protect  themselves  as  far  as  possible.  A 
messenger  was  despatched  to  Mr.  Farthing,  who 
immediately  went  to  seek  an  interview  with  the 
Taot'ai  to  ask  his  help,  but  failed  to  see  that 
official. 

Most  of  the  Chinese  helpers  and  servants  with 
their  families  managed  to  escape  under  cover  of 
the  darkness  by  a  back  door ;  and  then  those 
remaining — including  eleven  scholars  from  the 
girls'  school,  with  their  Chinese  pupil-teacher ;  one 
woman,  servant  to  Mrs.  Lovitt ;  a  dispensary 
assistant,  Liu  P'ai  Yuan,  and  two  men  servants, 
Liu  Hao  and  Lao  Chen — all  assembled  with  the 
missionaries  in  Dr.  Lovitt's  courtyard,  as  being  the 
one  most  easily  defended.  Meanwhile  the  rioters 
forced  their  way  into  the  compound,  and,  while 


The  Spread  of  Boxerism  in  Shansi       5 


o 


some  pillaged  the  vacated  buildings,  others  set 
fire  to  them ;  and  it  was  said  that  not  a  few,  in 
their  eagerness  for  loot,  perished  in  the  flames. 

At  last  the  courtyard  in  which  the  missionaries 
had  taken  refuge  was  attacked,  and  they  had  to 
retreat  into  a  few  side-rooms  used  as  kitchen, 
store-room,  etc.  Naturally  the  Chinese  children 
were  greatly  frightened,  and  began  to  cry.  The 
Chinese  woman  who  bravely  remained  with 
them  (and  eventually  escaped)  related  that  Miss 
Coombs  endeavoured  to  comfort  her  little  scholars 
by  telling  them  that  the  rioters  would  not  harm 
them,  as  they  only  wished  to  kill  the  foreigners. 

At  length — it  must  have  been  nearly  midnight 
— the  missionaries  found  they  must  vacate  their 
last  hiding-place,  as  the  neighbours,  fearing  for 
the  safety  of  their  own  houses,  began  to  pull 
down  the  small  rooms  in  which  they  had  taken 
refuge.  After  a  consultation,  they  determined  to 
try  and  force  a  passage  through  the  crowd  and 
make  their  way  to  Mr.  Farthing's  house,  though 
they  had  had  no  reply  from  him,  and  did  not 
know  what  might  be  happening  to  their  friends. 
Arranging  themselves  in  some  order,  they  started 
on  their  perilous  journey ;  the  men,  who  were 
armed,  protecting  the  women  and  children  as  best 
they  could.  Mrs.  Simpson  carried  little  Jacky 
Lovitt,  as  his  mother  was  not  in  a  condition  to  do 
so,  and  the  old  man  Lao  Chen  bravely  attempted 
to  carry  one  of  the  bigger  schoolgirls,  who  was 
very  ill. 

The  first  real  difficulty  they  encountered  was  at 


64  Fire  and  Sword  in  Shansi 

the  front  gate,  where  a  large  fire  had  been  made 
by  the  mob,  evidently  with  the  intent  of  impeding 
the  escape  of  the  missionaries ;  while  all  along 
the  street  was  a  howling  mob.  Having  run  the 
gauntlet  of  the  fire,  they  had  to  face  the  yelling 
crowd,  who  pelted  them  with  brickbats,  and  tried 
to  beat  them  with  sticks ;  and  they  had  to  use 
their  arms  to  protect  the  women  and  children. 
The  din  and  confusion  was  very  great,  and  the 
Chinese  accompanying  the  missionaries  evidently 
lost  their  heads,  for  when  they  arrived  at  Mr. 
Farthing's  they  found  they  had  only  the  two 
young  men,  Liu  P'ai  Yiian  and  Liu  Hao,  and  three 
schoolgirls  with  them  ;  while  all  the  others  and 
Miss  Coombs  were  missing. 

Messengers  were  immediately  despatched  to 
ascertain  the  whereabouts  of  the  missing  ones,  but 
it  was  not  until  the  next  day  that  the  sad  tidings 
were  brought  to  them  that  Miss  Coombs  had  lost 
her  life  in  her  attempt  (which  proved  successful) 
to  save  the  lives  of  two  of  her  scholars.  That 
same  night  the  two  girls  were  carried  off  by  men 
in  the  crowd,  and  were  not  recovered  until  nearly 
a  year  later,  when  they  gave  a  very  clear  account 
of  their  experiences  on  that  terrible  night.  These 
two  girls — Fu  Jung  and  Ai  T'ao — had  not  been 
in  the  school  long,  and  were  undergoing  the  pain- 
ful process  of  having  their  bound  feet  loosened. 
In  consequence  they  could  not  walk  very  well, 
and  in  the  confusion  were  left  behind.  Miss 
Coombs  had  safely  passed  the  gauntlet  of  the  fire 
at  the  front  gate,  when  she  noticed  that  two  of 


The  Spread  of  Boxerism  in  Shans'i       65 

her  protegees  were  missing,  and,  anxious  for  thcir 
safety,  bravely  went  back  for  them.  Finding  Fu 
Jung,  she  carried  her  on  to  the  street  and  then 
went  back  for  Ai  T'ao,  who  was  a  bigger,  heavier 
child ;  and,  while  helping  her  along  as  best  she 
could,  they  both  stumbled  and  fell.  This  was  a 
signal  for  the  crowd  to  begin  to  pelt  them  with 
brickbats  ;  and  Miss  Coombs  covered  little  Ai  T'ao 
with  her  body,  whispering  in  her  ear,  "  Don't  be 
afraid ;  we  shall  soon  be  where  there  is  no  more 
pain  or  sorrow."  But  almost  at  the  same  time 
the  child  was  snatched  away,  while  Miss  Coombs 
was  drawn  back  and  thrust  into  the  burning  debris. 
Not  a  few  testify  to  the  fact  that  twice  she 
managed  to  extricate  herself  from  the  fire,  but 
each  time  was  thrust  back.  Once  she  knelt  as  if 
in  prayer,  and  the  crowd  shouted,  "  See,  she  is 
pleading  for  her  life.  It  is  no  good."  Finally 
she  was  thrust  back  again,  and  more  debris  heaped 
upon  her ;  and  thus  she  was  the  first  of  that  noble 
band  to  obtain  the  martyr's  crown.  The  next 
day  two  friendly  Chinese  ventured  to  the  spot  and 
found  her  charred  remains,  which  they  buried  in 
the  Mission  garden. 

As  regards  the  eleven  schoolgirls,  they  all  suf- 
fered more  or  less,  but  were  eventually  recovered ; 
and  an  account  of  their  experiences  will  be  found 
on  page  199. 

The  following  letter,  written  by  Dr.  Lovitt  the 

day  after  the  burning  of  the  hospital  and  death 

of  Miss  Coombs,  is  of  peculiar  interest,  as  it  is  one 

of  the  last  communications   received  from  any  of 

5 


66  Fire  and  Sword  in  Shansi 

the  T'ai  Yiian  Fu  martyrs.  It  was  handed  over 
to  the  care  of  a  servant,  and  did  not  reach  me  till 
June  1 90 1,  when  I  was  in  Peking.  It  was  known 
that  other  letters  were  written  by  the  missionaries, 
and  entrusted  to  the  care  of  one  of  Mr.  Farthing's 
helpers  for  safe  keeping.  Fearing  for  his  own 
life,  he  handed  them  over  to  a  money  shop  which 
had  done  business  for  the  Missions,  and  eventually 
they  fell  into  the  hands  of  the  officials,  who, 
evidently  fearing  they  would  contain  incriminating 
evidence  against  themselves,  unfortunately  burned 
them.  Their  destruction  is  an  irreparable  loss, 
and  one  which  we  shall  never  cease  to  mourn  : — 

'*  Baptist  Mission  Premises 

(Mr.  Farthing's  House), 

T'ai  Yuan  Fu,  2%th  June  1900, 

Tkiirsday  morning. 

"  Dear  Friend, — We  don't  know  whom  you 
may  be,  but  we  here  thought  it  well  to  leave  this 
letter  in  the  hands  of  a  trusty  native  to  give  to 
the  first  foreigner  who  might  come  along. 

"  Last  night  the  Mission  premises  belonging  to 
the  Shou  Yang  Mission  (until  recently  so  called), 
but  the  property  of  Dr.  Edwards,  were  completely 
burnt  down  by  a  lawless  rabble,  armed  only  with 
sticks  and  stones.  They  commenced  their  work 
about  seven  o'clock,  and  we  held  our  ground  in 
one  of  the  courts  until  eleven  o'clock,  when  we 
found  it  necessary  to  escape.  We  did  so  by 
rushing  through  the  crowd  and  burning  debris, 
defended  by  three  revolvers  and  one  rifle. 


The  Spread  of  Boxerism  in  Shansi       67 

"  The  following  were  on  the  fired  premises : — 
Dr.  Wilson,  C.I.M. 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Stokes. 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Simpson. 
Miss  Coombs. 
Dr.  and  Mrs.  Lovitt  and  child. 

"  We  grieve  to  say  Miss  Coombs  met  with  her 
death  during  her  flight,  being,  as  we  afterwards 
heard,  beaten  down  into  the  burning  fragments 
when  trying  to  rise  up,  after  having  stumbled  first. 
She  is  now  at  rest. 

"We  the  following — B.M.S.,  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Whitehouse,  newly  arrived ;  Rev.  G.  B.  and  Mrs. 
Farthing  and  three  children ;  Miss  Stewart, 
governess  to  the  Farthing  children ;  Mrs.  Wilson 
and  child,  C.I.M. ;  Misses  Stevens  and  Clarke, 
together  with  the  above-mentioned,  who  escaped 
last  night — are  now  here. 

"  Notifications  were  sent  to  the  officials  (it  is 
impossible  to  accurately  state  to  whom,  as  we 
have  missed  the  messengers). 

"  It  is  reported  that  the  Chih  Fu  was  not  far  off 
in  his  chair,  and  a  few  soldiers,  who  did  nothing, 
except  possibly  to  throw  a  few  bricks  at  one  and 
another  in  the  mob.  There  was  no  real  attempt 
at  our  protection. 

"  This  morning  we  are  all  safe  and  well ;  friendly 
natives  followed  us  along  the  main  street  last 
evening,  but  as  we  turned  the  corner  from  the 
main  street  to  reach  the  back  of  Mr.  Farthing's 
premises  we  requested  that  they  should  not  follow 
us,  and  they  stayed,  leaving  us  alone.      The  mob 


68  Fire  and  Sword  in  Shansi 

did  neither  follow  us  nor  come  on  later,  and  we 
have  been  unmolested  until  now. 

"  Mr.  Farthing  and  Mr.  Whitehouse  left  here 
about  eight  o'clock  with  a  native  helper  (Mr.  Liu), 
to  attempt  an  interview  with  the  officials.  Mean- 
time we  are  awaiting  their  return,  and  will  wire  the 
result  later  if  there  is  an  opportunity. 

"  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Beynon  and  three  children 
(B.  and  F.  B.  Society)  are  at  a  house  not  far 
distant  from  this.  Mr.  Hoddle  is  with  them. 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Underwood,  B.M.S.,  are  still  at 
Hsin  Chou,  and  were  proposing  to  return  to  this 
city  this  week,  to  arrive  at  their  house  on  Saturday 
afternoon. 

"  We  would  like  our  dear  home  ones  to  know 
we  are  being  marvellously  sustained  by  the  Lord. 
He  is  precious  to  each  one  of  us.  The  children 
seem  to  have  no  fear.  We  cannot  but  hope  for 
deliverance  (hope  dies  hard),  and  our  God  is  well 
able  to  do  all  things — even  to  save  us  from  the 
most  impossible  surroundings  when  hope  is  gone. 
Our  trust  is  in  Him  entirely  and  alone.  We  at 
the  same  time  are  seeking  to  do  all  that  is  in  our 
power  to  do,  and  asking  guidance  at  every  step. 

"  Messrs.  Farthing  and  Whitehouse  have  re- 
turned, with  good  report  of  promises  to  protect. 
We  fear  it  is  not  to  be  trusted. 

"  There  is  not  much  time.      We  ARE  READY. 
"Arnold  E.  Lovitt,  M.R.C.S." 

From  28th  June  to  7th  July  the  missionaries 
who  escaped  from  the  hospital  compound  remained 


The  Spread  of  Boxerism  in  Shansi       69 

at  Mr.  Farthing's  house ;  while  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Whitehouse  were  in  another,  close  to  them.  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Beynon  with  their  children  and  Mr. 
Hoddle  were  still  in  their  own  compound.  All 
were  carefully  guarded  by  soldiers  ;  and  that  these 
houses  were  not  burnt  was  evidently  due  to  the 
fact  that  their  destruction  would  involve  other 
buildings,  whereas  the  hospital  premises  were  in  a 
vacant  district  of  the  city.  During  those  days  a 
few  faithful  Chinese  servants  remained  with  them, 
and  other  native  Christians  were  allowed  to  visit 
them.  The  city  gates  and  walls  w^ere  all  care- 
fully guarded,  so  that  there  was  no  possibility  of 
escape,  even  had  they  wished  to  make  the 
attempt. 

On  5th  July  they  were  visited  by  an  official, 
who  took  the  names  of  all  the  foreigners  on  Mr. 
Farthing's  compound,  and  brought  a  message 
from  the  Governor  saying  that  he  could  only 
promise  them  protection  if  they  would  go  to 
another  house  where  they  would  be  more  imme- 
diately under  his  eye.  The  missionaries  suspected 
mischief,  but  said  that  if  the  Governor  ordered 
them  to  go  they  must  of  course  obey,  though  they 
had  no  wish  to  leave  the  house  in  which  they 
were  then  residing.  Arrangements  were  quickly 
made,  and  it  was  decided  they  should  make  the 
move  on  Friday  the  6th ;  but  that  day  it  rained 
so  incessantly  that  the  official  who  had  the  matter 
in  hand  asked  the  Governor  that  a  delay  might 
be  made  till  the  following  day.  The  rain  con- 
tinued on  the  Saturday ;  but  when  the  Governor 


70  Fire  and  Sword  in  Shansi 

was  appealed  to  for  a  further  respite,  he  sent  word 
that  "  even  if  it  rained  swords  they  must  at  once 
move  to  the  new  house."  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Beynon 
with  their  three  children  and  Mr.  Hoddle  joined 
the  party  at  Mr.  Farthing's  house  in  the  afternoon  ; 
but  though  it  was  raining  heavily,  and  there  would 
be  but  few  people  on  the  streets,  they  determined 
to  wait  till  night-time  before  going  to  the  quarters 
prepared  for  them  by  the  Governor.  Meanwhile 
carts  were  procured  and  an  escort  of  soldiers 
provided.  It  must  have  been  nearly  midnight 
when  the  sorrowful  procession  started  in  a  deluge 
of  rain,  taking  with  them  only  a  few  absolutely 
necessary  things,  and  accompanied  by  five  faithful 
Chinese — Liu  P'ai  Yiian,  Liu  Hao,  Wang  Hsi  Ho, 
Chang  Ch'eng  Sheng,  and  a  lad  of  fifteen,  Ch'ang 
Ang,  who  had  fled  from  Shou  Yang. 

Arrived  at  the  house  chosen  for  them,  they 
made  themselves  as  comfortable  as  possible  for 
the  night;  and  the  next  morning  (Sunday 
8th  July)  were  able  to  examine  their  surround- 
ings. They  found  that  for  their  whole  number 
(twenty-six,  including  children)  there  were  only 
two  comparatively  small  courts,  the  two  inner 
courts  being  already  occupied  by  the  Roman 
Catholics — viz.  two  bishops,  both  of  whom  had 
been  in  China  over  thirty  years ;  two  priests ;  one 
lay  brother ;  seven  Sisters  of  Mercy,  who  only 
arrived  in  the  spring  of  1899;  and  five  Chinese 
attendants.  How  the  Roman  Catholics  spent 
that  Sunday  no  one  survived  to  relate ;  but  from 
two  of  their  attendants  who  miraculously  escaped 


The  Spread  of  Boxerlsm  in  Shansi       71 

we  know  that  the  Protestant  missionaries  spent 
the  day  as  quietly  as  possible  ;  several  of  them 
taking  their  turn  to  assist  in  the  kitchen,  Mrs. 
Simpson  being  particularly  active. 

When  the  fateful  day  (Monday  9th  July) 
dawned,  the  foreigners  evidently  had  no  inkling 
as  to  what  was  to  happen.  After  breakfast  some 
of  the  men  began  to  clean  up  the  rooms  and 
courtyards,  while  several  of  the  ladies  helped  in 
the  kitchen.  Just  before  noon  the  Sub-Prefect 
(Hsien)  called  and  took  a  list  of  all  who  were  in 
the  house,  both  foreigners  and  Chinese,  saying 
it  was  by  order  of  the  Governor.  Immediately 
after,  the  dispensary  assistant,  Liu  P'ai  Yiian,  was 
sent  out  by  Mr.  Stokes  with  a  few  cash  to  be 
given  to  the  woman  who  had  taken  charge  of 
three  of  the  schoolgirls ;  while  Liu  Hao,  the 
bootmaker,  was  sent  by  Mr.  Farthing  for  a 
bricklayer  and  whitewasher  to  make  some  repairs. 

As  was  ascertained  just  a  year  later,  when 
other  Protestant  missionaries  returned  to  the 
province,  the  Governor  had  determined  that  on 
that  day  he  would  kill  all  the  foreigners  in  T'ai 
Yiian  Fu.  He  evidently  only  took  a  few  of  the 
officials  into  his  confidence ;  and  one  at  least — 
the  Taot'ai — strenuously  opposed  the  course  he 
was  about  to  pursue,  but  unfortunately  without 
result.  It  must  have  been  about  two  o'clock  in 
the  afternoon  when  he  ordered  a  number  of 
officers  with  their  soldiers  to  accompany  him, 
and,  mounting  his  own  horse,  led  the  way.  He 
made  as  though  he  would  go  out  of  the  city  by 


72  Fire  and  Sword  in  Shansi 

the  north  gate,  but  before  reaching  that  point  he 
suddenly  wheeled  round  and  went  to  the  house 
where  the  missionaries  were  confined.  He  there 
ordered  their  immediate  arrest ;  and  they  appear 
to  have  made  no  resistance — as  indeed  it  would 
have  been  useless. 

All  who  were  found  within  the  compound 
(Protestants  and  Roman  Catholics)  were  seized ; 
and  it  so  happened  that  there  were  several 
Chinese  there  on  business,  including  the  mason 
whom  Mr.  Farthing  had  summoned  only  an  hour 
or  two  before.  But  no  excuse  was  listened  to, 
and  all  were  marched  off  to  the  Governor's 
yamen  between  files  of  soldiers,  where  they  were 
taken  into  the  courtyard  adjoining  the  street  and 
surrounded  by  soldiers  —  not  Boxers.  As  to 
what  really  occurred,  the  whole  truth  will  probably 
never  be  known,  but,  from  inquiries  made  on  the 
spot,  it  seems  certain  that  the  Governor  did  not 
assault  any  with  his  own  hand ;  but,  having 
asked  the  missionaries  where  they  came  from,  and 
being  answered  "  From  England,"  and  "  From 
France,"  just  gave  the  order  "  Sha "  (kill)  to  the 
soldiers,  who  answered  with  a  shout,  and  immedi- 
ately fell  upon  their  defenceless  victims,  killing 
them  indiscriminately. 

So  eager  was  the  Governor  to  begin  his  bloody 
work,  that  he  had  not  waited  for  the  arrival  of  a 
party  of  missionaries  who  had  only  reached  T'ai 
Yiian  Fu  the  day  before  and  been  confined  in 
the  Sub-Prefect's  yamen.  These  were  Mr.  and 
Mrs.    Pigott   and    their    son    William    Wellesley ; 


The  Via  Dolorosa,  T'ai  Ylan  Fu,  qth  July  igoo. 


House  in  which  the  Missionaries  were  arrested. 


Lntrance  to  the  (lovernor's  Yamen,  the  Scene  of  the  Massacre. 


The  Spread  of  Boxerism  in  Shansi       ']'^ 

Miss  Duval ;  Mr.  John  Robinson  ;  and  Ernestine 
and  Mary  Atwater — two  Httle  girls  from  the 
station  of  Fen  Chou  Fu  who  had  gone  to  Shou 
Yang  to  have  the  advantage  of  the  school  which 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Pigott  hoped  to  establish  for  foreign 
children.  To  give  the  history  of  their  sufferings, 
we  must  go  back  a  few  days. 

During  the  summer  Mr.  Pigott  had  been  busy 
superintending  the  erection  of  a  new  and  more 
commodious  dwelling,  and  this  was  finished  and 
occupied  on  8th  June. 

On  iith  June  he  wrote  to  Mr.  Farthing  at 
T'ai  Yiian  Fu,  saying — 

"  Thanks  for  reassuring  news  as  to  rumours 
afloat  just  now.  This  place  is  full  of  them,  the 
people  being  assured  that  we  shall  all  very 
shortly  be  killed ;  that  between  the  new  Fut'ai 
and  the  Boxers  we  have  no  chance.  It  appears 
that  on  Thursday  last  a  troop — about  three 
hundred,  they  say — of  Kansu  soldiers  passed 
through  here  from  the  east  and  spread  the  news. 
I  am  told  that  all  the  shopkeepers  have  received 
notice  in  the  form  of  a  *  circular '  or  tract,  and 
that  this  states  that  wherever  idols  have  been  put 
away,  there  all  will  be  killed.  This  has  made 
things  lively  for  the  time,  and  I  was  twice 
threatened  yesterday  on  my  way  from  our  out- 
station  at  An  Chih.  All  this  has  begun  since  the 
new  Fut'ai's  appointment.  My  carter  was  stopped 
and  beaten  on  the  road  near  Shih  Tieh  because 
he  was  recognised  as  belonging  to  foreigners. 
This  was  shortly  before  the  Fut'ai's  arrival,  but 


74  Fire  and  Sword  in  Shansi 

after  his  appointment ;  and  the  very  day  he 
passed  we  had  stones  thrown  into  one  of  the 
rooms.  His  dislike  to  foreigners  may  not  have 
anything  to  do  with  this,  but  it  is  a  curious 
coincidence  that  the  Boxer  propaganda  should 
become  so  active  immediately  after  he  gets  settled 
into  office." 

On  the  23rd  he  wrote  again — 

"  It  seems  to  me  that  it  is  time  some  steps 
were  taken  by  us  in  this  province  to  communicate 
with  the  coast  and  the  Consul  along  some  route 
other  than  the  ordinary  one,  and  I  write  to 
suggest  that  you  should  consult  with  friends  and 
send  off  such  a  courier.  We  here  are  very  short 
of  funds,  as  I  believe  several  others  are  also,  and  I 
should  be  glad  to  share  the  expenses  of  such  an 
effort.  From  what  I  can  gather,  there  would  be 
no  difficulty  in  any  man  getting  through  if  he 
had  nothing  about  him  to  identify  him  with 
foreigners ;  and  I  should  judge  that  if  he  had 
nothing  but  letters  directed  in  native  style  he 
could  both  go  and  come  and  bring  up  bank 
drafts,  which  at  present  seem  to  be  the  chief  need. 

"  Here  we  meet  with  no  trouble,  and  have  been 
quite  quiet  during  the  passage  of  the  T'ai  Yiian 
troops.  They  have  all  gone  to  Peking  by  forced 
marches,  and  one  of  our  Christians  who  is 
employed  in  the  yamen  says  that  troops  from 
four  other  provinces  are  shortly  to  pass  here 
also.  Now  the  people  on  the  street  have  been 
trying  to  induce  them  as  they  pass  to  attack  us. 
So  I  am  told ;  and,  as  this  might  be  serious  in  the 


The  Spread  of  Boxerism  in  Shansi       75 

case  of  other  troops,  I  sliould  be  very  much 
obliged  if  you  would  send  in  another  '  Pingtieh ' 
(petition)  notifying  the  Taot'ai  of  the  matter. 

"  The  Fut'ai  is  on  his  way  to  the  capital,  and 
orders  have  come  for  his  reception  here  on  the 
3rd.  I  hope  it  may  prove  that  he  is  to  be 
removed  from  here.  Report  goes  that  he  desires 
to  petition  for  leave  to  fight  the  foreigners.  I 
hope  things  may  be  better  for  his  absence,  and 
that  matters  may  be  righted  at  Peking  before  he 
returns.  I  hear  he  brought  up  Boxers  in  his 
staff  of  followers,  and  have  no  doubt  that  the 
whole  thing  is  part  of  a  plan  carried  on  by  some 
of  those  in  high  places.  If  our  European 
Governments  see  this  and  act  promptly,  I  expect 
that  the  trick  will  be  given  up  shortly ;  but  if 
the  plea  of  '  We  can't  help  it — beyond  our  con- 
trol' is  allowed,  things  may  drag  on  for  some 
time  to  come.  I  trust  you  are  all  well,  and  being 
kept  free  of  anxiety. 

"  The  ocean  has  receded  9  li  from  the  shore 
— no  foreign  troops  can  land.  A  great  iron 
trident  has  erected  itself  in  the  sea.  Boxers' 
food  multiplies  itself  in  their  hands,  so  that  they 
may  never  suffer  from  want.  The  foreign 
Legations  in  Peking  are  all  destroyed.  Such 
are  some  of  the  evil  reports  (yao  yen). 

"  We  are  all  well  and  in  peace,  thank  God  ;  but 
the  terrible  drought  continues,  and  there  is  great 
distress,  I  fear. 

"PS, — I  have  just  received  word  of  a  good 
proclamation    against   '  yao   yen '   posted    by   the 


yS  Fire  and  Sword  in  Shansl 

Pu  Chen  Szu — Fant'ai,  I  suppose.  It  reproves  the 
Mandarins  for  not  taking  action.  This  is  a  good 
sign,  I  believe.  It  may  be  the  answer  to  our 
petition." 

And  on  the  27th  he  wrote  to  Mr.  Stokes — 

"  We  have  just  come  out  of  our  prayer- 
meeting  to  find  rain  coming  down  nicely.  The 
passage  which  Li  Pai  took  was,  *  I  am  poor  and 
needy — make  no  tarrying,  O  my  God.'  The 
*  make  no  tarrying '  was  turned  into  prayer,  and 
we  rose  to  our  feet  to  find  rain  nicely  falling. 

"  A  proclamation  from  the  Fant'ai  is  also  up, 
reproving  the  magistrates  for  not  taking  steps  to 
check  the  evil  reports.  Last  night  also  Lao  An 
brought  from  T'ai  Ku  sufficient  silver  to  pay  my 
debts  and  leave  something  to  go  on  upon.  So 
our  mercies  have  not  come  singly.  Praise  the 
Lord." 

From  these  letters  (which  of  course  never 
reached  those  to  whom  they  were  addressed,  and 
were  recovered  just  a  year  after  they  were  written) 
it  will  be  seen  that,  while  there  was  much  to 
cause  grave  anxiety,  nothing  more  serious  was 
anticipated  than  that  their  communication  with 
the  coast  might  be  cut  off  for  some  time,  and 
that  they  would  be  short  of  funds.  It  was  not 
until  the  morning  of  Friday  29th  June  that  Mr. 
Pigott  received  a  letter  from  Mr.  Stokes  telling 
him  of  the  burning  of  the  hospital  and  the  death 
of  Miss  Coombs.  Almost  at  the  same  time  the 
local  magistrate  sent  him  word  to  say  that,  in 
consequence    of   instructions    received    from     the 


The  Spread  of  Boxerism  in  Shansi       77 

Governor,  he  could  no  longer  protect  him.  A 
consultation  was  immediately  held  with  the 
trusted  Chinese  on  the  premises  as  to  what  was 
best  to  be  done ;  and  some  Christians  who  were 
at  that  time  staying  on  the  Mission  compound  as 
patients,  invited  the  missionaries  to  go  to  their 
village  (Peh  Liang  Shan),  which  was  situated 
in  a  sparsely  populated  hilly  district,  some  1 5 
miles  to  the  south.  The  invitation  was  at  once, 
and  thankfully,  accepted.  Preparations  were 
made  there  and  then ;  and  taking  three  saddle- 
ponies  for  the  ladies  and  children  to  ride,  and 
two  pack-donkeys  to  carry  a  few  necessaries,  they 
set  off  in  the  afternoon,  and  reached  the  village 
that  same  evening.  They  were  accompanied  by 
four  Chinese — Li  Pai,  the  shepherd ;  Miao,  an 
innkeeper;  and  his  son,  Heh  Kou,  a  lad  of 
sixteen,  all  of  whom  were  Christians ;  and  their 
cook,  Yao  Chien  Hsiang.  The  village  to  which 
they  fled  was  one  of  the  small  cave  villages  so 
common  among  the  loess  hills  of  Shansi,  and 
they  were  warmly  welcomed  by  the  Christian 
family  into  their  small  quarters.  To  avoid 
publicity  as  much  as  possible,  the  foreigners 
occupied  two  small  cave  rooms,  which  were  only 
lighted  by  a  little  paper-covered  window  which 
was  over  the  one  door. 

Saturday  (30th  June)  was  spent  quietly,  and 
on  Sunday  (ist  July)  the  much  and  long-desired 
rain  fell  in  torrents — the  people  of  Shou  Yang, 
whence  the  missionaries  had  fled,  no  doubt 
attributincr    it    to    the    absence    of   the    "  foreisf^n 


78  Fire  and  Sword  in  Shansi 

devils."  But  on  the  Monday  (2nd  July)  the 
terrible  news  was  brought  to  them  that  the  Boxers 
had  risen  and  were  killing  the  Christians  in  the 
neighbouring  villages.  One  after  another  the 
messengers  came  in  bringing  accounts  of  the 
atrocities  of  the  Boxers,  and  it  was  decided  that 
the  best  course  would  be  for  the  missionaries  to 
return  to  Shou  Yang  and  place  themselves  in  the 
hands  of  the  magistrate,  as  if  they  remained  where 
they  were  they  would  assuredly  be  killed. 

Towards  evening  they  set  off  on  their 
sorrowful  return  journey  across  the  hilly  loess 
roads,  now  made  slippery  by  the  recent  rains, 
accompanied  by  Miao  the  innkeeper,  and  his 
son,  and  Yao  the  cook.  The  difficult  jour- 
ney was  accomplished  uneventfully,  until  they 
reached  the  river  flowing  just  south  of  the 
city,  and  which  had  become  swollen.  It  was 
now  quite  dark.  After  some  trouble  the  river 
was  safely  crossed,  but  not  till  all  the  travellers 
were  more  or  less  wet.  Here  the  Chinese  who 
had  so  bravely  remained  with  the  missionaries 
fled  for  their  own  lives,  as  they  heard  the  voices 
of  men  apparently  on  the  lookout  for  the 
foreigners.  From  other  sources,  however,  we 
learned  that  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Pigott  and  party 
managed  to  elude  them  in  the  dark,  and  went 
first  to  their  own  house  in  the  east  suburb,  which 
they  found  sealed  by  the  official.  They  then 
decided  to  go  into  the  city  to  the  magistrate's 
yamen.  This  they  were  able  to  do  without  being 
observed,  and  were  at  once  taken  in  and  accom- 


The  Spread  of  Boxerism  in  Shansi       79 

modated  in  two  very  dirty  rooms  usually  occupied 
by  yamen  "  runners."  The  magistrate  did  not 
go  to  Mr.  Pigott,  but  gave  instructions  that  a 
church  member  named  Li  Lan  Su,  employed  in 
the  yamen,  should  be  told  off  to  wait  upon  the 
party. 

They  remained  under  the  care  of  the  official 
for  three  days,  when  he  sent  word  to  say  that,  in 
consequence  of  instructions  received  from  the 
Governor,  he  could  protect  them  no  longer,  but 
would  send  them  under  escort  to  the  border  of  his 
jurisdiction  in  whatever  direction  they  wished  to 
go — north,  south,  east,  or  west.  It  was  eventually 
decided  that  they  should  be  sent  to  T'ai  Yiian  Fu  ; 
but  whether  this  was  Mr.  Pigott's  decision  or  not 
will  probably  never  be  known,  as  all  the  evidence 
subsequently  gathered  on  the  spot  goes  to  prove 
that  letters  were  written  during  the  three  days  the 
party  was  in  the  yamen,  but  that  they  were  after- 
wards destroyed  by  the  official  lest  they  should 
contain  incriminating  evidence. 

When  it  was  decided  that  the  missionaries 
should  go  to  T'ai  Yiian  Fu,  the  magistrate  sug- 
gested through  an  intermediary  that  it  would  be 
well  if  Mr.  Pigott  and  Mr,  Robinson  wore  loose 
handcuffs  on  the  journey,  as  the  road  they  would 
have  to  pass  was  infested  by  bands  of  Boxers,  who 
might  try  to  kill  them.  If  they  wore  the  hand- 
cuffs, it  could  be  represented  to  the  Boxers  by  the 
escort  that  the  foreigners  were  being  sent  as 
prisoners  to  the  Governor,  and  therefore  should 
not  be  molested.     The  magistrate  did  not  appear 


8o  Fire  and  Sword  in  Shansi 

to  see  that  he  was  thus  giving  evidence  of  his 
incapability  and  weakness.  At  first  Mr.  Pigott 
objected  to  the  plan,  but,  it  is  said,  at  last  con- 
sented. Two  large  country  carts  were  provided 
for  their  accommodation,  and  the  little  company  left 
Shou  Yang  on  Friday  6th  July.  Though  only  a 
two  days'  journey,  they  did  not  reach  T'ai  Yuan  Fu 
till  the  afternoon  of  Sunday  the  8th.  Several  times 
on  the  road  they  were  stopped  by  Boxers,  who 
wished  to  kill  them  at  once  ;  but  the  escort  spoke 
"  good  words,"  showed  the  official  passport,  and 
were  allowed  to  proceed. 

Arrived  at  the  capital,  they  were  taken  at  once 
to  the  yamen  of  the  Sub-Prefect  (Hsien),  and 
while  waiting  at  the  entrance  were  seen  by  the 
two  young  men,  Liu  P'ai  Yiian  and  Liu  Hao,  who 
were  serving  Mr.  Farthing  and  his  party.  Both 
these  men  testify  that  all  the  party  were  travel- 
stained  and  looked  very  weary ;  and  that  Mr. 
Pigott  and  Mr.  Robinson  were  wearing  tight 
handcuffs,  which  could  not  be  removed  without 
being  unlocked.  Their  testimony  was  subse- 
quently confirmed  by  some  of  the  soldiers  who 
acted  as  the  escort  on  the  journey,  and  who  were 
interviewed  at  Shou  Yang.  They  first  adhered 
to  the  old  story  that  the  handcuffs  worn  were  loose, 
but  afterwards  modified  their  statement  by  saying 
that  when  they  started  the  handcuffs  given  to  Mr. 
Pigott  and  Mr.  Robinson  were  loose;  but  when 
they  arrived  at  the  town  of  Yu  Tzu  the  Boxers 
saw  that  they  were  loose,  and  insisted  that  they 
should  be  changed  for  smaller  ones ! 


The  Spread  of  Boxerism  in  Shansi       8i 

The  two  young  men  were  at  once  recognised 
by  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Pigott,  who,  in  response  to  a 
question  as  to  whether  anything  could  be  done  for 
them,  said  they  only  wished  to  have  some  melons 
to  eat.  TJhese  the  young  men  procured  for  them, 
and  then  went  off  to  inform  Mr.  Farthing,  and 
take  a  message  to  him  from  Mr.  Pigott  asking  if 
he  could  accommodate  the  Shou  Yang  party  in  his 
quarters.  Mr.  Farthing  immediately  sent  word 
back  to  come,  by  all  means ;  but  when  the  mes- 
sengers reached  the  yamen  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Pigott 
and  those  with  them  had  been  summoned  inside 
to  see  the  Sub-Prefect,  the  two  men  ivitJi  chains 
round  their  necks,  as  well  as  wearing  the  handcuffs, 
and  they  were  not  allowed  to  go  in  to  see  them. 
Mr.  Pigott,  addressing  the  magistrate,  asked  that 
they  might  be  allowed  to  join  their  friends,  but 
was  told  it  could  not  be  permitted.  He  then 
asked  that  all  his  party  might  be  allowed  to  be 
together, — evidently  fearing  some  mischief, — but 
this  request  was  also  refused ;  and  Mr.  Pigott  and 
his  son  with  Mr.  Robinson  were  put  in  the  mens 
prison ;  while  Mrs.  Pigott,  Miss  Duval,  and  the 
two  little  girls  were  put  in  the  quarters  provided 
for  fernale  prisoners. 

They  did  not  see  each  other  again  until  the 
afternoon  of  the  next  day, — Monday  9th  July, — 
when  they  were  summoned  from  their  prison  only 
to  be  escorted  to  the  Governor's  yamen,  where 
their  friends  had  already  been  killed.  In  the  outer 
courtyard  they  must  have  passed  the  bodies  of 
the  massacred  missionaries  as  they  were  taken  to 
6 


82  Fire  and  Sword  in  Shansi 

the  inner  hall  where  Yu  Hsien  was  sitting  at  his 
judgment-seat.  All  were  made  to  kneel  before 
him  ;  and  in  reply  to  a  question  as  to  what  country 
they  belonged,  Mr.  Pigott  answered  "  England." 
The  Governor  replied  with  a  derisive  laugh,  and 
uttered  the  one  word  "  Beat."  The  two  little 
girls  fell  on  the  neck  of  one  of  the  ladies  and 
began  to  cry  bitterly ;  but  the  soldiers  (not  Boxers) 
immediately  fell  upon  them,  wounding  all,  and 
causing  two  of  their  number  to  fall  unconscious  to 
the  ground.  The  final  order  to  "  Kill  "  wag  quickly 
given,  and  all  seven  were  taken  to  the  central 
courtyard,  where  they  were  at  once  massacred. 
The  remains  of  all  the  martyrs — both  foreigners 
and  Chinese — were  first  stripped  of  their  cloth- 
ing and  then  dragged  by  beggars  to  a  vacant 
plot  of  ground  just  inside  the  big  south  gate  of 
the  city.  There  they  remained  till  the  following 
day,  when  they  were  thrown  outside  the  city  on  to 
the  execution  ground,  where  they  were  exposed 
to  the  ravages  of  wolves  and  dogs,  and  were  soon 
undistinguishable  from  the  remains  of  the  many 
criminals  who  had  been  executed  there. 

Thus  ended  the  most  sorrowful  chapter  in  the 
Mission  history  of  T'ai  Yiian  Fu. 

What  would  the  next  be  ? 


RIOTS    AND  MASSACRES  SOUTH   OF  T  AI  YUAN  FU 

Travelling  southward   from  T'ai  Yiian  Fu  by 
the  main  road,  the  first  Mission  station  we  come  to 


Entrance  to  the  Cave  House  in  the  Milage  of  Peh  Liang  Shan 
where  Mr  and  Mrs  Pi(;OTT  and  Party  took  refuge. 


Courtyard  of  above  House,  showing  the  Entrance  to  the  "two  small 
Cave  Rooms"'  (x)  occupied  liy  Mr  and  Mrs  Pk'.ott. 


The  Spread  of  Boxerism  in  Shansl       83 

is  Ping  Yao  Hsien, — some  70  miles  distant, — 
which  was  in  charge  of  Mr.  Saunders  of  the  China 
Inland  Mission. 

The  Mission  premises  were  attacked  on  the 
night  of  26th  June,  and  the  missionaries  escaped 
to  the  yamen.  The  Mandarin  said  he  could  do 
nothing  to  protect  them,  and  they  then  asked  that 
they  might  be  escorted  to  T'ai  Yiian  Fu.  This 
he  promised  to  do,  and  they  started  the  next  day. 
By  noon  of  the  28th  they  were  within  10  miles 
of  that  city,  when  they  were  met  by  r^  native  Chris- 
tian, who  told  them  what  had  happened  there 
the  day  previous ;  and  Mr.  Saunders  at  once 
decided  to  turn  back  and  try  to  reach  some 
place  of  safety  in  the  south.  After  almost 
indescribable  hardships  he  and  his  party  reached 
Hankow,  but  two  of  the  children  and  two  single 
ladies  who  accompanied  the  party  died  on  the 
way.^ 

The  day  following  the  Ping  Yao  riot  (27th  June) 
there  was  an  outbreak  at  the  Mission  station  of 
Chieh  Hsiu  Hsien, — 30  miles  southwards, — where 
five  ladies  had  gone  in  hopes  of  being  out  of 
danger.  These  were  the  Misses  E.  French,  E. 
Johnson,  E.  Higgs,  E.  Gauntlett,  and  K. 
Rassmussen.  When  the  crowds  collected  in  the 
Mission  compound  about  noon  on  that  day,  the 
ladies  in  hurried  consultation  decided  to  go 
to  the  yamen.  The  magistrate  received  them 
very  kindly,  but   assured  them   he  had   Imperial 

^  For  a  full  account  of  this  journey  see  Martyred  Missionaries  of 
the  China  Inland  Mission,  by  Marshall  Broomhall,  B.A. 


84  Fire  and  Sword  in  Shansi 

orders  not  to  protect  foreigners  any  longer.  He 
strongly  advised  that  they  should  lose  no  time  in 
fleeing  southwards  and  getting  to  Hankow  or 
some  other  place  of  safety.  Two  of  the  ladies 
were  escorted  back  to  the  Mission  premises  to  get 
together  a  few  things  necessary  for  the  journey, 
and  all  remained  in  the  yamen  that  night.  The 
next  morning,  28th  June,  they  left  under  official 
escort — the  son  of  the  magistrate  himself  going 
with  them  part  of  the  way — and  arrived  safely  at 
P'ing  Yang  Fu,  in  the  south  of  the  province,  after 
some  exciting  experiences,  on  Monday  morning, 
2nd  July. 

As  has  been  already  mentioned,  P'ing  Yang  Fu 
— six  days'  journey  south  of  T'ai  YUan  Fu — was 
near  the  scene  of  the  first  Boxer  outbreak  in 
Shansi.  The  missionaries  there  resident  were  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  F.  C.  H.  Dreyer,  Miss  Hoskyn,  Miss  A. 
A.  Hoskyn,  and  Miss  R.  Palmer.  Early  in  July 
they  were  joined  by  Mr.  and  Mrs.  A.  Lutley  and 
two  children ;  and  now  by  the  Misses  E.  Higgs, 
E.  Gauntlett,  K.  Rassmussen,  E.  French,  and  E. 
Johnson  from  Chieh  Hsiu — all  of  the  China 
Inland  Mission.  Though  surrounded  by  Boxers, 
the  local  officials  managed  to  guard  them  for  a 
time ;  but,  when  the  news  of  the  massacres  farther 
north  reached  them,  the  Prefect  insisted  that  they 
must  leave  for  the  coast,  as  he  could  protect  them 
no  longer.  After  many  negotiations,  a  passport 
was  promised  them  ;  but  when  it  appeared,  it  turned 
out  to  be  a  convict's  transport  -  order  adapted  to 
their  case ;  and,  knowing  that  protest  was  useless, 


The  Spread  of  Boxerlsm  In  Shansl       85 

they  had  to  accept  it.  On  14th  July  four  heavy, 
springless,  country  carts  were  provided  for  them ;  but 
they  were  not  allowed  to  leave  till  after  midnight, 
as  it  was  said  a  mob  was  awaiting  them  outside 
the  gate  of  the  city.  This  was  quite  true,  for  the 
very  next  morning  they  were  set  upon  by  a  band 
of  a  dozen  or  more  armed  men,  who  dragged  them 
from  their  carts  and  threatened  to  kill  them  if 
they  did  not  give  up  their  silver.  The  mission- 
aries could  only  stand  aside  and  allow  their  boxes 
to  be  rifled — the  escort  (!)  meanwhile  looking  on 
quite  contentedly. 

The  port  of  Hankow  was  not  reached  until 
28th  August,  after  a  terrible  journey  which 
occupied  forty-five  days.  Cooped  up  in  tightly 
covered  carts  under  the  scorching  July  and  August 
sun,  they  were  often  scarcely  able  to  breathe.  Ill- 
ness attacked  every  member  of  the  party  at  one 
time  or  another ;  and  several  times  when  they 
took  their  temperature  they  found  that  all  but 
one  ranged  from  100°  to  104^  Death,  too, 
visited  the  little  band,  for,  on  3rd  August,  Mary 
the  daughter  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Lutley  succumbed 
to  an  illness  brought  on  by  the  hardships  of  the 
journey.  On  20th  August  they  were  once  more 
called  upon  to  pass  through  deep  waters,  when  the 
only  remaining  child,  Edith,  passed  quietly  away 
in  Miss  French's  arms  while  travelling  along  in 
a  wheelbarrow.  Curious,  noisy,  unsympathetic 
crowds,  which  blocked  the  doors  and  windows  of 
the  small  stuffy  rooms  in  which  they  were  placed, 
were  some  of  the  minor  trials  they  had  to  endure. 


86  Fire  and  Sword  in  Shansi 

Frequently  "  in  perils  of  robbers,"  they  also  had  to 
endure  the  "  squeezing  "  of  the  underlings  of  the 
various  yamens ;  and  yet  not  one  word  of 
murmuring  or  regret,  but  all  re-echoing  Mrs. 
Atvvater's  letter :  "  I  am  not  sorry  for  having 
come  to  China ;  I  am  only  sorry  I  have  done  so 
little." 

Kii  Wu  Hsien  is  some  30  miles  to  the  south- 
west of  P'ing  Yang  Fu,  and  on  4th  July  Mr. 
M'Kie  and  two  ladies  fled  from  this  station  to  a 
village  about  27  miles  distant,  having  determined 
to  attempt  to  weather  the  storm  by  hiding,  rather 
than  endeavour  to  escape  to  the  coast.  After 
months  of  anxious  wanderings,  constant  danger, 
and  untold  privations,  they  were  at  last,  on  25  th 
October,  escorted  by  an  official  and  soldiers  back 
to  P'ing  Yang  Fu,  whence  they  were  subsequently 
sent  to  the  coast. 

A  few  days  after  Mr.  M'Kie  and  party  left, 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Duncan  Kay  with  their  little  girl 
fled  from  the  same  station  to  another  village. 
Their  sufferings  and  privations  were  even  greater 
than  those  of  Mr.  M'Kie  and  party.  Several 
efforts  to  save  them  were  made  by  the  native 
Christians,  but,  alas !  all  in  vain ;  and  they  were 
foully  murdered  by  a  band  of  Boxers  on  15  th 
September. 

In  the  extreme  south  of  the  province  is  the 
city  of  Yiiin  Ch'eng,  the  centre  of  a  district 
occupied  by  the  members  of  the  Swedish  Mission. 
The  magistrate  (Taot'ai)  in  charge  there  was  for- 
tunately   somewhat   favourably  disposed   towards 


The  Spread  of  Boxerism  in  Shansi       87 

foreigners,  and  on  the  night  of  27th  June  he 
called  two  of  the  missionaries  to  his  yamen  and 
urged  them  and  their  friends,  in  the  strongest  terms, 
to  leave  the  district  within  two  days.  They  at 
once  took  his  advice,  and  all  of  them — twenty- 
six  in  number — eventually  reached  the  coast  in 
safety. 

Starting  again  from  T'ai  Yiian  Fu  we  go 
south-west,  and  after  three  days'  journey  come  to 
the  little  town  of  Hsiao  Ih  Hsien,  which  for  some 
years  had  been  occupied  as  a  Mission  station  by 
the  China  Inland  Mission.  Miss  Whitchurch 
and  Miss  Searell  were  living  there  alone,  and  by 
their  life  and  good  works  had  won  the  approba- 
tion and  esteem  of  not  a  few.  An  opium-refuge 
which  they  conducted  had  been  the  means  of 
rescuing  many  of  the  victims  of  that  habit,  a 
number  of  whom  had  been  converted.  But 
their  noble  life  had  no  influence  with  the  "  low 
fellows  of  the  baser  sort,"  who  took  up  the  Boxer 
craze  in  the  hope  of  loot,  if  nothing  else.  They 
were  suddenly  attacked  on  28th  June;  and, 
though  the  Mandarin  went  to  the  house  and 
drove  off  the  rioters  for  the  time  being,  the  rabble 
saw  by  his  attitude  and  understood  by  what  he 
said  that  he  would  not  protect  the  ladies,  and 
early  the  next  morning  the  house  was  again 
attacked,  and  the  two  defenceless  women  slowly 
beaten  to  death. 

Thirty  miles  north-west  of  Hsiao  Ih  is  the  city 
of  Fen  Chou  Fu,  and  at  the  time  of  the  outbreak 
was  occupied    by  missionaries    of   the  American 


88  Fire  and  Sword  in  Shansi 

Board  Mission.  In  1900  there  were  there 
resident,  Rev.  E.  R.  and  Mrs.  Atwater  and  two 
children,  and  Rev.  C.  W.  and  Mrs.  Price  and  one 
child.  Mr,  and  Mrs.  A.  P.  Lundgren  and  Miss 
A.  Eldred,  all  of  the  C.I.M.,  were  there  on  a  visit. 
The  first  indication  of  any  serious  trouble  was  on 
27th  June;  but  the  then  Prefect,  being  friendly 
to  missionaries,  soon  quelled  the  disturbance,  and 
continued  to  protect  the  foreigners.  His  sudden 
death,  and  the  appointment  of  a  new  Prefect, 
changed  the  aspect  of  affairs  altogether,  and  they 
were  told  they  must  leave  for  the  coast.  They 
begged  to  be  allowed  to  delay  their  departure,  as 
Mrs.  Atwater  was  expecting  shortly  to  be  con- 
fined ;  but  no  compassion  was  shown  them,  and 
the  demand  was  repeated  that  they  must  hasten 
their  departure.  Being  utterly  powerless  they 
were  obliged  to  consent,  and  arrangements  were 
made  for  them  to  leave  on  15  th  August.  Four 
country  carts  were  prepared  for  them,  on  which 
their  goods  were  packed,  and  they  started  with 
some  faint  hope  of  reaching  a  place  of  safety ; 
but  had  only  gone  some  7  miles  when  they  were 
met  by  a  band  of  soldiers  who  had  been  in 
hiding,  and  everyone  was  cut  down  and  slain.^ 

Two  days'  journey  west  of  Fen  Chou  Fu  is  the 
city  of  Yung  Ning  Chou,  occupied  for  the  first 
time  by  missionaries  in  the  early  summer  of  1 899, 
when  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Ogren  went  to  live  there,  and 
who  were  there  at  the  time  of  the  Boxer  outbreak. 
It  was  not  till  the  middle  of  June  that  Boxer 
*  For  further  details  see  Mr.  Price's  Diary,  pp.  267-291. 


The  Spread  of  Boxerism  in  Shansi       89 

leaders  appeared,  and  began  to  stir  up  the  people. 
On  5th  July  the  missionaries  heard  of  the  death 
of  the  ladies  at  the  neighbouring  station  of  Hsiao 
Ih ;  and,  warned  by  the  official  of  impending 
danger,  they  made  their  escape  on  the  1 3th. 
Reaching  the  Yellow  River,  they  with  difficulty 
hired  a  boat  to  take  them  some  340  miles,  when 
they  hoped  to  be  able  to  escape  through  the 
province  of  Shensi.  They  had  only  gone  about 
half  the  distance,  when  they  were  obliged  to 
land  on  account  of  a  dangerous  rapid,  and  at 
once  fell  into  unfriendly  hands.  From  that 
time  commenced  a  series  of  wanderings  and 
privations  which  would  have  tried  the  strongest  of 
men.  Separated  one  from  another,  Mrs.  Ogren 
fully  believing  her  husband  was  dead,  they  were 
again  united  in  a  marvellous  way,  but  Mr.  Ogren 
seriously  wounded.  Eventually  they  were  taken 
to  P'ing  Yang  Fu,  which  place  they  reached  on 
1 2th  October;  but  two  days  later  Mr.  Ogren 
succumbed  to  his  wounds.  His  wife  was  then 
alone  for  ten  days,  but  on  the  24th  was  joined  by 
Mr.  M'Kie  and  party,  and  with  them  eventually 
reached  the  coast. 

South  of  Yung  Ning  Chou,  and  among  the 
hills,  lies  the  city  of  Hsi  Chou.  Here  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Peat  and  two  children,  also  Miss  G.  Hurn 
and  Miss  Edith  Dobson,  were  stationed.  On 
2 1st  July  they  were  obliged  to  flee  and  hide  in 
the  caves  among  the  mountains.  Driven  at  last 
by  hunger,  they  were  compelled  to  come  forth, 
when  they  were  found  by  the  Boxers  and  dragged 


90  Fire  and  Sword  In  Shansi 

before  the  magistrate.  Regarded  as  the  off- 
scourings of  the  earth,  they  were  refused  protection, 
and  were  sent  from  city  to  city.  The  officials  in 
some  cases  endeavoured  to  befriend  them  and 
send  them  to  Hankow,  but  after  weeks  of  weary 
wandering  and  imprisonment  they  were  attacked 
by  two  Boxers  1 5  miles  south  of  the  city  of 
Ku  Wu.  The  supposed  guard  fled  before  these 
two  men,  and  all  the  party  were  put  to  death  on 
30th  August. 

"Nestling  among  the  hills  near  the  western 
borders  of  Shansi,  about  30  miles  south  of  Hsi 
Chou,  is  the  little  city  of  Ta  Ning.  The  majority 
of  the  people  are  simple-hearted  folk;  and,  although 
other  parts  of  the  province  were  ablaze  with  the 
Boxer  craze,  peace  continued  here.  Writing  long 
before  trouble  had  broken  out  elsewhere,  Miss 
Edith  Nathan  said — 

" '  I  believe  we  shall  be  quite  safe  here  as 
regards  the  Ta  Ning  people,  but  if  outsiders 
come  the  case  may  be  altered.'  The  outsiders 
did  come,  and  letters  which  subsequently  came  to 
hand  showed  how  the  Boxer  fury  wrought  upon 
an  otherwise  peaceful  neighbourhood.  On  12th 
July  the  three  ladies — Miss  Edith  Nathan,  Miss 
Mary  Nathan,  and  Miss  Mary  Heapman — had  to 
flee.  After  long  and  anxious  hiding  they  were 
at  last  caught,  and  on  1 3th  August  were  put  to 
death."  1 

Thirty  miles  south  of  Ta  Ning  is  the  city  of 

^  Martyred  Missionaries  of  the  China  Inland  Mission,  by 
Marshall  Broomhall,  B.A. 


The  Spread  of  Boxer  Ism  in  Shansi      91 

Chi  Chou,  where  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Young  were 
stationed.  The  last  letter  from  them  was  dated 
7th  July,  in  which  Mr.  Young  said,  "  Here  things 
are  tolerably  quiet.  The  opposition  consists  of 
rumours,  but  we  cannot  tell  how  soon  things  may 
present  a  sterner  aspect.  .  .  .  The  farmers  have 
been  very  busy  the  last  few  days,  and  I  should 
think  the  rain  will  have  a  wholesome  effect 
upon  the  people  generally." 

The  next  station  south  is  Ho  Tsin,  and  was 
occupied  by  Mr.  and  Mrs.  M'Connell  and  their 
little  boy  Kenneth,  Miss  Burton,  and  Miss  King. 
On  5  th  July  Mr.  M'Connell  wrote  from  a  village 
in  the  hills  where  he  and  his  party  had  gone  for 
the  summer :  "  We  came  here  a  week  ago.  When 
we  left  Ho  Tsin  all  was  well,  and  the  people  were 
as  friendly  as  ever.  We  have  not  heard  from 
there  since  we  left ;  but  I  am  sending  a  man  to- 
morrow. Here  we  have  nice  cool  weather,  and 
the  people  are  friendly.  We  hear  no  rumours  at 
all,  and  were  so  quiet  until  your  letters  came." 
Events  must  have  developed  very  rapidly,  for  it 
is  now  known  that  on  1 2th  July  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Young  had  joined  Mr.  M'Connell  and  party,  and 
together  they  made  for  the  Yellow  River,  hoping 
to  make  their  way  into  Shensi.  They  were 
met  by  a  band  of  mounted  soldiers,  who  pro- 
fessed they  had  been  sent  as  escort,  and  advised 
them  to  take  a  bye-road.  No  sooner  were  they 
in  a  quiet  place  than  the  would  -  be  escort 
turned  on  the  helpless  party  and  murdered 
them  all. 


92  Fire  and  Sword  in  Shansi 

Tracing  the  course  of  the  disturbances  from 
T'ai  Yuan  Fu  in  a  south-easterly  direction,  we 
come  first  to  the  station  of  T'ai  Ku  Hsien,  dis- 
tant about  40  miles,  which  had  been  occupied  by 
missionaries  of  the  American  Board  for  nearly 
twenty  years,  and  not  a  few  converts  gathered 
in.  Disturbances  took  place  in  the  neighbourhood 
about  the  middle  of  June,  and  on  the  30th  it  was 
found  necessary  for  the  missionaries  in  the  out- 
stations  to  retreat  to  the  main  station  at  T'ai  Ku. 
After  this  the  Boxers  became  very  aggressive, 
and  killed  not  a  few  of  the  native  Christians  in 
the  neighbouring  villages ;  but  the  magistrate 
managed  to  restrain  them  from  attacking  the 
foreigners. 

From  letters  and  diaries  subsequently  recovered 
it  is  known  that  during  the  month  of  July  the 
missionaries  were  closely  confined  to  their  own 
house ;  yet  the  sad  tidings  reached  them  of  the 
massacre  of  friends  in  other  places,  and  they  had 
little  or  no  hope  of  escaping  themselves.  The 
disquieting  rumours  in  the  city  increased,  and  one 
by  one  the  native  Christians,  hoping  to  find  safety 
in  their  own  homes,  left  them,  until  only  eight 
remained.  On  the  afternoon  of  3  ist  July,  while 
they  were  going  about  their  household  duties,  and 
without  any  warning,  they  suddenly  heard  the 
terrible  cry  of  "  Kill,  Kill  "  ;  and,  before  anything 
could  be  done,  the  Boxers,  led  by  soldiers,  broke 
into  the  house  and  killed  all  found  there,  both 
foreigners  and  Chinese,  except  three  or  four  of 
the    latter    who    managed    to    escape.       It    was 


The  Spread  of  Boxerism  in  Shansi       93 

afterwards  ascertained  that  the  magistrate  who 
befriended  the  missionaries  was  removed  by  the 
Governor  for  a  few  days,  and  it  was  during  his 
absence  that  the  massacre  occurred.  The  names 
of  those  who  fell  there  were — Mr.  and  Mrs.  D. 
H.  Clapp,  Miss  L.  Partridge,  Miss  R.  Bird,  Mr. 
Williams,  and  Mr.  Davis. 

Five  days'  journey  south-east  of  T'ai  Ku  is 
the  large  prefectural  city  of  Lu  An  Fu,  The 
missionaries  there  were  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Glover  with 
two  children,  and  Miss  Gates.  As  early  as  6th 
June  there  was  a  riot  caused  by  an  idolatrous 
procession,  and  Mr.  Glover  determined  to  take 
his  wife  and  children  away,  as  Mrs.  Glover  was 
expecting  her  confinement.  He  left  on  9th  June, 
purposing  to  go  to  Tientsin,  but  had  only  reached 
Shuen  Teh  Fu,  some  four  days'  journey,  when  he 
was  stopped  by  the  disturbances  ;  and,  after  remain- 
ing in  that  place  eleven  days,  returned  to  Lu  An 
Fu,  which  he  reached  on  3rd  July. 

Matters  had  rapidly  developed  during  his 
absence,  so  that  he  decided  to  try  the  southern 
route  through  Honan.  Miss  Gates  now  accom- 
panied them,  and  they  made  a  start  on  6th  July. 
Their  troubles  began  before  they  got  out  of  the 
city,  as  they  had  to  pay  10,000  cash  before  being 
allowed  to  pass  the  gates.  The  very  next  day 
they  were  robbed  of  everything  they  had.  During 
their  journey  of  more  than  two  months  they  were 
several  times  face  to  face  with  death.  Time  and 
again  they  were  miraculously  delivered,  and 
reached    Hankow  on    1 3th    August.     Five    days 


94  Fij'c  and  Sword  in  Shansi 

afterwards  Mrs.  Glover  was  confined,  but  the  child 
only  lived  a  short  time.  Mrs.  Glover  never 
fully  recovered,  and  "entered  into  rest "  on  25  th 
October. 

Thirteen  miles  from  Lu  An  Fu  was  the  small 
city  of  Lu  Ch'eng  Hsien,  where  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
E.  J.  Cooper  and  two  children.  Miss  Rice,  and 
Miss  Huston  were  located.  Though  anti-foreign 
placards  had  been  posted  up  in  the  city,  things 
were  comparatively  quiet,  and  the  missionaries 
did  not  know  how  serious  affairs  were  in  the 
province  until  5th  July,  when  Mr.  Saunders  and 
party  arrived  in  their  flight  from  the  north.  The 
arrival  of  so  many  foreigners  created  quite  a  stir 
in  the  city,  and  on  the  7th  the  Mission  premises 
were  rioted  and  the  whole  party  was  obliged  to 
leave.  Though  robbed  and  molested  on  the  way, 
all  but  one  managed  to  escape  from  the  province ; 
but  Miss  Rice  was  beaten  to  death  by  the  road- 
side. Miss  Huston  received  such  serious  wounds 
that  she  died  two  days  before  reaching  Hankow. 
Two  of  Mr.  Saunders'  children  succumbed  to  the 
hardships,  as  also  Mrs.  E.  J.  Cooper.  The 
survivors  reached  Hankow  on  14th  August,  forty- 
nine  days  after  leaving  P'ing  Yao. 

Yii  Wu,  which  was  occupied  by  Dr.  Hewett, 
lies  30  miles  to  the  north  of  Lu  Ch'eng  Hsien, 
and  early  in  July  Mr.  Barratt  of  Yo  Yang  paid 
him  a  visit.  On  6th  July  Dr.  Hewett  left  the 
station  to  go  to  Lu  Ch'eng  to  consult  the  friends 
there  as  to  the  condition  of  affairs.  That  same 
night  he  received  a  letter  from  Mr.  Barratt  saying 


The  Spread  of  Boxerism  in  Shansi       95 

he  was  fleeing  for  safety  to  a  place  in  the  hills, 
and  asking  him  to  follow  him.  Dr.  Hewett 
returned  to  his  station  the  next  day,  but  was 
obliged  to  seek  refuge  in  the  homes  of  the  neigh- 
bouring native  Christians,  and  for  one  month  was 
wandering  about  from  village  to  village.  By  that 
time  he  was  so  exhausted  that  he  determined  to 
give  himself  up  to  the  local  official,  resident  at  the 
neighbouring  city  of  Tuen  Liu  Hsien.  There  he 
was  taken  in  on  5  th  August  and  hidden  for  two 
months,  when  he  was  eventually  sent  under  escort 
to  Hankow,  which  place  he  reached  on  6th 
November. 

Little  is  known  as  to  how  Mr.  Barratt  met  his 
death.  In  the  letter  of  6th  July  sent  to  Dr. 
Hewett  he  says :  "  An  hour  ago  Deacon  Si,  who 
knew  you  in  T'ai  Yiian  Fu,  came  to  tell  you  of 
the  awful  things  there.  The  news  nearly  made 
me  faint,  but  His  peace  filled,  and  still  does  fill, 
my  soul.  .  .  .  Let  us  be  true  to  death."  Among 
the  hills  to  which  he  had  fled  for  safety  he 
passed  away,  in  consequence  of  his  suffering  and 
privation. 

Yo  Yang  Hsien  is  a  small  city  in  the  hills, 
situated  between  Yii  Wu  Hsien  and  P'ing  Yang 
Fu.  Mr.  Woodroffe  and  Mr.  Barratt  were  the 
resident  missionaries ;  but  about  the  beginning  of 
Julj''  the  latter  had  gone  to  Yii  Wu,  Mr.  Wood- 
roffe being  left  alone.  He  had  to  flee  on  4th 
July,  and  for  some  time  wandered  about  among 
the  hills  with  feet  all  torn  and  bruised.  The 
last  letter  from  him  told  of  his  great  hardships, 


96  Fire  and  Sword  in  Shansi 

but  finished  with  the  words,  "  We  count  them 
happy  that  endure."  He  was  eventually  killed 
by  the  Boxers  under  circumstances  of  great 
barbarity. 


riots  and  massacres  north  of 
t'ai  yuan  FU 

Tracing  the  ravages  of  the  Boxers  in  a  northerly 
direction  from  T'ai  Yiian  Fu,  we  come  first  to  Hsin 
Chou,  a  station  some  45  miles  distant,  occupied 
by  the  English  Baptists. 

The  first  reliable  news  of  the  events  of  this 
district  were  brought  to  the  coast  by  the  faithful 
evangelist  Chao,  who  barely  escaped  with  his  life. 
A  Shantung  man,  he  first  went  to  Shansi  in  1882 
with  Dr.  Richard,  and,  after  he  left,  spent  most  of 
his  time  at  Hsin  Chou.  He  was  with  Mr.  Dixon 
and  party  when  they  fled  from  that  station  on 
29th  June,  and  it  was  with  difficulty  he  was 
persuaded  to  leave  them  to  report  their  perilous 
position.  His  home  was  not  reached  till  19th 
July ;  and  as,  after  some  six  weeks  or  so,  no 
further  news  had  been  received  from  Shansi,  he 
willingly  offered  to  return  to  ascertain  all  he  could, 
well  knowing  the  risk  he  ran.  The  perilous 
journey  to  and  fro  occupied  nearly  two  months, 
and  he  brought  back  with  him  much  valuable 
information.  On  my  return  to  China  in  1900  he 
was  my  constant  companion  for  eight  months, 
and  accompanied  us  on  our  visit  to  Shansi,  where 


Scenes  on  the  Road  between  Siiou  Vang  and  T'ai  Yuan  Fu. 


^:-. 

1 

\                 .          V                                                                      ! 

y^.,  ^--^-  ■ 

Passinc:  over  the  Loess  Mountains. 


A  Temple  overlooking  the  T'ai  Ytian  Plain. 


The  Spread  of  Boxerism  in  Shansi      97 

he  is  at  present,  having  taken  up  his  old  post  at 
Hsin  Chou. 

The  missionaries  there  resident  were  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Dixon,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  M'Currach,  Miss 
Renaut,  and  Mr.  Ennals.  When  the  troubles 
broke  out,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Underwood  of  T'ai  Yiian 
Fu  were  there  on  a  visit.  They  heard  of  the 
burning  of  the  hospital  at  T'ai  Yiian  Fu  and 
death  of  Miss  Coombs  on  the  morning  of  29th 
June,  and  decided  to  flee  for  their  lives.  For  some 
weeks  they  hid  in  a  cave  in  the  hillside,  near 
a  village  where  every  family  except  one  was 
Christian  ;  and  the  people  did  all  they  possibly 
could  for  their  pastors,  but  were  at  last  obliged 
to  flee  for  their  own  lives,  as  the  Boxers  found 
out  they  were  befriending  the  foreigners.  The 
missionaries  endured  terrible  privations,  as  evi- 
denced by  touching  letters  written  at  the  time 
and  afterwards  recovered. 

Their  hiding-place  having  been  found  out,  on 
25th  July  a  military  official  with  soldiers  arrived 
and  promised  them  a  safe  escort  to  the  coast.  By 
that  time  they  had  been  four  or  five  days  with 
little  or  no  food,  and  so  accepted  the  offer,  though 
suspecting  mischief.  Immediately  they  reached 
Hsin  Chou  they  were  put  in  the  common  jail. 
On  8th  August  a  special  deputy  and  ten  soldiers 
arrived  from  T'ai  Yiian  Fu  with  secret  instruc- 
tions from  the  Governor,  and  the  missionaries 
were  told  that  they  were  to  be  escorted  to  the 
coast.  Four  carts  were  provided  for  them,  and 
long  before  daylight  on  the  9th  they  started  on 
7 


98  Fire  and  Sword  in  Shansi 

their  short,  last  journey.  They  were  taken  to  the 
east  gate  of  the  city,  where  some  soldiers  were  in 
hiding,  and  there  dragged  from  their  carts  and 
brutally  murdered.  Their  remains  were  thrown 
outside  the  city ;  but  one  of  the  leading  scholars 
(not  a  Christian),  who  had  been  on  friendly  terms 
with  Mr.  Dixon,  paid  some  beggars  to  wrap  the 
bodies  in  mats  and  bury  them  close  to  the  city 
wall,  he  himself  conducting  a  short  memorial 
service  in  his  own  way  by  burning  incense  and 
reading  a  funeral  address. 

Six  days'  journey  north  of  Hsin  Chou  is  the 
large  prefectural  city  of  Ta  T'ung  Fu,  occupied  by 
missionaries  of  the  China  Inland  Mission.  So  far 
as  has  been  ascertained  at  present,  "  it  was  on  24th 
June  that  the  storm  first  broke ;  and  the  hunted 
missionaries  found  shelter  for  a  time  in  the  yamen 
of  a  friendly  Prefect,  but  not  before  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
M'Kie  had  been  badly  wounded  by  stones.  ...  A 
few  days  later,  on  27th  June,  the  helpless  little 
band  was  escorted  back  to  the  Mission  premises, 
and  a  guard  placed  to  protect  them.  Under 
these  painful  circumstances  a  little  son  was  born 
to  Mrs.  M'Kie — born  to  receive  a  rude  and  cruel 
welcome  from  the  land  of  his  parents'  adoption. 

"By  1 2th  July  the  guard  had  almost  disappeared, 
only  two  men  remaining ;  and  at  seven  o'clock  that 
evening  a  small  official  arrived  to  take  the  names 
of  the  foreign  inmates.  This  was  not  for  pur- 
poses of  protection,  for  only  an  hour  later  the  house 
was  surrounded  by  three  hundred  horse  and  foot 
soldiers,  and  sword  and  fire  soon  did  their  deadly 


The  Spread  of  Boxerism  in  Shansi       99 

work."     The  names  of  the  martyred  on  that  day 
were — • 

Mr.  Stewart  M'Kie. 

Mrs.  M'Kie. 

Alice  M'Kie. 

Baby  M'Kie. 

Mr.  Charles  I'Anson. 

Mrs.  I'Anson. 

Dora  I'Anson. 

Arthur  K.  I'Anson. 

Eva  K.  I'Anson. 

Miss  Margaret  E.  Smith. 

Miss  Maria  Aspden. 
West  of  Ta  T'ung  Fu  is  another  large  pre- 
fectural  city,  So  P'ing  Fu.  As  early  as  the 
middle  of  May,  disturbances  had  begun  in  the 
neighbouring  stations  occupied  by  members  of  the 
Swedish  Holiness  Union,  and  by  the  24th  of  June 
ten  members  of  that  Mission,  together  with  three 
belonging  to  the  Christian  and  Missionary  Alliance, 
had  gone  to  So  P'ing  Fu  for  conference  and 
mutual  protection.  By  about  the  end  of  June  the 
Boxers  had  attacked  several  Mission  stations  in 
the  neighbourhood,  and  the  officials  suggested  it 
would  be  better  for  all  the  foreigners  to  leave.  As 
already  the  mob  was  demanding  that  the  mission- 
aries should  be  handed  over  to  them  to  be  killed, 
it  was  proposed  that  the  men  should  wear  hand- 
cuffs as  they  left  the  city,  to  give  the  people  the 
impression  they  were  being  sent  as  prisoners  to 
Peking.  This  was  agreed  to,  and  everything  was 
ready  by  the  morning  of  29th  June.      Carts  were 


lOO  Fire  and  Sword  in  Shansi 

provided,  and  the  whole  party  set  off;  but  had  no 
sooner  left  the  city  than  they  were  attacked  by 
a  number  of  Manchus,  who  literally  stoned  them 
to  death. 

Their  names  were  as  follows  : — 

Of  the  Swedish  Holiness  Union  (Associates 
of  the  China  Inland  Mission)  : 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  S.  A.  Persson. 
Miss  J.  Lundell. 
Mr.  E.  Pettersson. 
Mr.  N.  Carleson. 
Mr.  O.  A.  Larsson. 
Miss  J.  Engvall, 
Mr.  G.  E.  Karlberg. 
Miss  M.  Hedlund. 
Miss  A.  Johansson. 
Of  the  Christian  and  Missionary  Alliance : 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  C.  Blomberg  and  child. 


NORTH  SHANSI,  AND  OVER  THE 
MONGOLIAN  BORDER 

In  the  extreme  north  of  Shansi  and  over  the 
Mongolian  border,  quite  a  number  of  stations 
were  occupied  by  members  of  the  Christian  and 
Missionary  Alliance. 

Though  it  is  known  that  thirty-six  of  their 
number  (including  fifteen  children)  suffered 
martyrdom,  few  details  are  as  yet  to  hand. 
The  two  following  letters — hitherto  unpublished 
— will    be    of    melancholy    interest,    and     throw 


The  Spread  of  Boxerism  in  Shansi      loi 

some    light    upon    the    terrible    sufferings    which 
the  martyrs  of  that  district  had  to  suffer : — 

Translation  of  a  Letter  from  Chia  Jen,  of 
the  American  Alliance  Mission  at  Kwei  Hwa, 
to  His  Excellency  the  Minister  of  the 
United  States  at  Peking. 

"  Sir,  I  beg  to  submit  details  of  the  murder  of 
the  foreign  missionaries  at  Kwei  Hwa.  Between 
the  28th  of  the  fifth  moon  and  the  4th  day  of  the 
sixth  moon,  in  the  twenty-sixth  year  of  Kwang  Hsii, 
the  rising  of  the  Boxers  began,  and  the  foreign 
missionaries  decided  to  flee  for  safety.  On  this 
account  they  mortgaged  their  two  compounds 
for  Tls.  800  (one  for  Tls.  500  and  one  for 
Tls.  300),  together  with  the  printing  -  office, 
where  printing  was  done  in  three  languages, — 
Chinese,  English,  and  Mongolian, — having  three 
large  presses,  fifty  odd  rolls  of  white  paper,  and 
all  other  apparatus,  worth  over  Tls.  3000,  as 
well  as  the  belongings  of  twelve  people,  in- 
cluding brass,  iron,  and  wooden  articles ;  books, 
clothes,  furniture,  trunks,  etc.,  worth  altogether 
some  thousand  taels  or  more.  All  of  this  was 
mortgaged  to  the  Erh  Fu  of  Kwei  Hwa,  named 
Hsu  (given  name  below),  it  being  clearly  stated 
for  the  amount  of  Tls.  800,  white  silver,  less 
Tls.  200  discount;  the  nett  sum  received  being 
Tls.  600.  A  period  of  two  years  was  fixed 
upon  for  the  redemption  of  the  property.  If 
after  the  expiration  of  this  period  he  should  not 
be  willing  to  wait  longer,  Hsii  Erh  Fu  was  to  be 


I02  Fire  and  Sword  in  Shansi 

allowed  to  take  the  boxes,  clothes,  etc, ;  and  as 
to  the  printing-office,  machinery,  etc.,  he  should 
be  allowed  to  dispose  of  it  as  he  might  choose. 

"  Of  the  twelve  missionaries,  the  chief  was  an 
American  named  Ai  Li  Shun,  having  a  wife  and 
two  sons  and  one  daughter — five  in  all ;  the 
remainder  consisted  of  two  men,  three  women, 
and  two  children,  who  were  all  Swedes.  On  the 
5  th  day  of  the  sixth  moon  in  the  night  they  left 
the  city  and  went  to  a  place  called  Ko  I  Keng, 
90  li  from  Kwei  Hwa.  On  the  17th  of  the 
same  moon  they  left  this  place  and  went  into 
Mongolia,  and  on  the  night  of  the  19th  they 
were  attacked  by  robbers,  who  took  more  than 
Tls.  1000  of  silver,  seventeen  trunks,  one  organ, 
three  carts,  over  five  hundred  catties  of  rice-flour, 
and  the  clothes  and  belongings  of  thirteen  people, 
(There  was  one  Chinese  in  the  company,)  They 
were  robbed  seven  times.  Those  who  stole  the 
silver  were  the  soldiers  of  Wang  Ta  Ren,  under 
an  officer  named  Li,  a  Shantung  man.  He  was 
the  leader.  There  were  five  other  soldiers — six  in 
all.  Those  who  stole  the  rice-flour  were  coolies. 
On  the  28th  of  the  seventh  month  the  Taot'ai  of 
the  place,  Cheng  Wen  Ching,  ordered  Kwo  Er 
Fu  with  the  Boxers,  and  Cheng  Ta  Ren,  the 
military  commander,  to  take  soldiers  and  kill 
the  Tieh  Ko  Tan  Kou  people — a  Roman  Catholic 
Mission.  On  the  ist  of  the  eighth  moon  these 
missionaries  were  killed. 

"  One  hundred  and  sixty  li  south-west  of  that 
city  there    is   a   place   called    To    Ko   To   under 


The  Spread  of  Boxerism  in  Shansi      103 

its  jurisdiction.  The  church  was  burned,  and 
in  it  three  Swedish  missionaries,  together  with 
their  clothes,  boxes,  goods,  etc.  They  also  killed 
one  Chinese  evangelist.  This  was  done  by  the 
'  Boxers,'  the  officials  winking  at  it. 

"  West  of  this  city  the  missionaries  of  three 
places,  ten  adults  and  five  or  six  children,  all 
in  flight,  were  robbed  and  killed  at  a  place  called 
Ta  Sheh  T'ai,  under  the  jurisdiction  of  Tsa  La 
Ch'i.  A  military  officer  did  the  killing,  the  Cheng 
T'ai  of  Ta  T'ung.  I  do  not  know  his  name.  At 
Yang  Kao  district  city,  under  the  jurisdiction  of 
Ta  T'ung,  a  man  and  wife  and  two  children  were 
killed,  and  their  money,  clothes,  etc.,  were  either 
stolen  or  destroyed.  Under  the  jurisdiction  of 
Yang  Mao,  at  a  place  called  Tung  Ching  Ts'i,  a 
female  missionary  was  killed,  and  her  goods  dis- 
posed of  as  mentioned  above.  The  guilt  of  the 
murders  of  these  two  places  rests  upon  the 
magistrate  of  Yang  Kao. 

"  At  So  P'ing  Fu  thirteen  Swedes  were  killed, 
three  belonging  to  the  Alliance  Mission,  and  ten 
to  the  China  Inland  Mission.  The  chapel  was 
burned  and  goods  destroyed.  In  this  case  the 
Prefect  and  magistrate  treacherously  employed 
the  *  Boxers '  to  do  the  killing.  The  magistrate's 
name  is  Kuo,  a  relative  of  the  Kuo  Er  Fu  of 
Kwei  Hwa.  In  all  these  cases  the  Chinese 
Christians  were  either  murdered  or  imprisoned. 
Some  were  robbed,  and  their  houses  burned ;  and 
up  to  the  present  they  still  wander  homeless  in 
misery  inexpressible." 


I04  Fire  and  Sword  in  Shansi 

[Translation.^] 

"Si  Wan  Tzu,  24^ A  Nov.  1900. 

"ACCOUNT    OF    PIERRE    OLE    BACK,    PERE 
PROVINCIAL 

"About  the  15th  June  all  the  Mandarins  in  the 
district  of  Kwei  Hwa  practised  the  rites  of  the 
Boxers.  Notices  were  placed  in  all  public  places, 
and  were  sent  to  the  smaller  villages  by  runners. 
The  substance  of  the  notices  was,  that  all  railways, 
telegraphs,  churches,  and  European  houses  were 
to  be  destroyed — that  all  Europeans  and  native 
Christians  were  to  be  killed.  On  the  2nd  of  July 
an  edict  of  the  Governor,  Yu  Hsien,  ordered  all 
Chinese  merchants,  labourers,  mechanics,  etc.,  to 
practise  as  Boxers.  The  Taot'ai  of  Kwei  Hwa 
Ch'eng  passed  on  these  orders  to  all  the  Mandarins 
in  his  jurisdiction,  and  Europeans  were  threatened 
in  all  the  districts.  Thereupon  we  five  missionaries 
— two  Belgians,  one  Hollander,  and  two  Chinese 
— left  at  10  p.m.  on  4th  July  to  take  refuge  in  the 
mountains  of  Hou  Ma,  60  li  north  of  Kwei  Hwa 
Ch'eng,  and  arrived  at  noon  of  the  5  th  at  the  foot 
of  the  hills.  All  the  villages  en  route  were  full  of 
Boxers,  who  threatened  us,  crying,  *  Let  us  eat 
the  brains  of  the  Europeans ;  let  us  drink  their 
blood.'  Happily  we  were  armed,  and  the  Boxers 
had  not  commenced  their  exploits. 

*  N.B. — Several  of  the  places  mentioned  cannot  be  localised, 
as  the  names  are  given  in  Roman  letters  and  not  in  the  Chinese 
characters. 


The  Spread  of  Boxerism  in  Shansi      105 

"  On  our  arrival  at  Hou  Ma,  runners  went  out  in 
all  directions,  and,  after  eight  days  of  comparative 
quiet,  native  Christian  refugees  began  to  arrive.  Out 
of  three  hundred  and  forty-seven  villages  in  which 
we  had  converts  none  escaped  the  Boxers,  who  were 
helped  by  the  soldiers,  and,  I  may  say,  by  all  the 
Chinese  from  the  highest  official  to  the  lowest 
beggar.  Men,  women,  and  children  wished  to  dip 
their  hands  in  foreign  blood  ;  and  even  the  heathen 
Chinese  who  had  worked  for  us,  or  who  had  eaten 
our  food,  were  pitilessly  massacred.  The  Mandarins 
of  Kou  Lin  Korh  promised  a  reward  for  the  killing 
of  a  European  or  of  a  native  missionary.  More  than 
fifteen  hundred  of  our  Christians  were  killed  with 
unexampled  cruelty.  Our  houses  and  the  houses 
of  the  native  Christians  were  pillaged  and  burnt. 
Even  now  about  three  thousand  of  our  Christians 
of  Tou  Met  are  fugitives,  without  shelter,  food,  or 
clothing — exposed  to  the  rigours  of  a  Mongolian 
winter.  The  massacre  commenced  on  6th  July, 
and  lasted  for  several  weeks. 

"Next  we  learnt  that  the  Protestant  missionaries 
of  To  Ch'eng  and  Kwei  Hwa  Ch'eng,  whom  the 
Er  Fu  of  Kwei  Hwa  had  sheltered  for  some  time 
in  his  yamen,  had  been  sent  in  June  with  seven 
camels  and  700  or  800  taels  of  silver  towards 
Ourga,  and  robbed  by  their  escort  of  their  camels, 
600  taels  of  silver,  and  the  greater  part  of  their 
baggage,  and  after  wandering  about  for  some 
weeks  they  were  destitute  about  100  li  from  us. 
We  sent  to  fetch  them,  and  on  the  7th  August 
ten  of  them  arrived.      On  the  9th  another  arrived 


io6  Fire  and  Sword  in  Shansi 

with  his  wife  and  a  newborn  child.  On  the  loth 
another  missionary's  wife  gave  birth  to  a  daughter. 
The  party  then  was  three  men  of  thirty  and  forty 
years  of  age,  with  their  wives,  one  unmarried  lady, 
and  seven  children — all  Swedes.  They  told  us  that 
after  having  been  robbed  by  their  escort  they  had 
been  robbed  byother  soldiers, who  took  their  remain- 
ing silver  and  baggage ;  and  then  by  the  beggars, 
who  took  their  remaining  provisions  and  clothes 
{habits  nkessaires).  After  more  than  a  month  of 
great  misery,  our  messengers  had  found  them  and 
brought  them  in  to  us  at  Tieh  Ko  Tan  Kou. 

"  From  the  west  we  heard  that  the  soldiers  of 
the  Taot'ai  with  those  from  Pao  T'ou,  Tsa  La 
Ch'i,  etc.,  had  destroyed  several  of  Mgr.  Hamer's 
stations ;  and  that  he  had  finally  assembled  his 
people  in  the  episcopal  residence  of  Erh  Shih 
Tsing  Ti.  They  resisted  two  attacks,  and  Mgr. 
Hamer  then  sent  the  missionaries  to  San  To  Ho, 
ten  days  west.  The  place  was  again  attacked  on 
20th  July  and  taken.  Between  eight  hundred 
and  one  thousand  Christians  were  killed ;  more 
than  a  hundred  women  and  children  were  carried 
off;  the  church,  houses,  etc.,  were  burnt,  and  the 
remaining  Christians  driven  off.  Mgr.  Hamer 
was  taken  by  the  soldiers  to  To  To  Ch'eng,  where 
the  Mandarin  Li  delivered  him  over  to  the  tender 
mercies  of  his  soldiers.  The  latter  took  him  for 
three  days  through  the  streets  of  To  To,  every- 
body being  at  liberty  to  torture  him.  All  his 
hair  was  pulled  out,  and  his  fingers,  nose,  and  ears 
cut    off.     After   this  they  wrapped  him    in  stuff 


The  Spread  of  Boxerism  in  Shansi      107 

soaked  in  oil,  and,  hanging  him  head  downwards, 
set  fire  to  his  feet.  His  heart  was  eaten  by  two 
beggars. 

"  On  the  24th  July  we  learnt  from  our  church 
caretaker  at  Kwei  Hwa  Ch'eng,  who  had  taken  to 
flight  when  our  buildings  there  were  burnt,  that 
a  European,  who  had  come  with  an  escort  from 
Pao  T'ou  via  Tsa  La  Ch'i  to  Kwei  Hwa  Ch'eng, 
had  just  been  killed  by  the  Taot'ai's  soldiers  close 
to  the  yamen.  Some  of  our  people  said  that  he 
was  one  of  Mgr.  Hamer's  missionaries,  but  others 
said  that  he  was  an  Englishman  or  American 
who  had  come  from  Ning  Hsia,  and  who  made 
maps.^ 

"  One  of  our  Christians,  who  is  now  at  Si  Wan 
Tzu,  named  Ma  Wei,  was  present  when  this 
European  was  killed  (on  the  20th  or  21st  July), 
but  kept  at  a  distance,  not  daring  to  approach. 
He  saw  six  or  seven  of  the  Taot'ai's  soldiers  con- 
duct him,  with  his  hands  tied  behind  him,  to  a 
place  a  little  distance  from  the  yamen.  Then 
they  drew  their  swords  and  cut  great  gashes  all 
over  his  body,  particularly  on  his  arms  and  legs. 
After  about  half  an  hour  his  head  was  cut  off,  and 
the  body  buried  close  to  the  yamen.  According 
to  Ma  Wei,  this  European  had  come  from  Pao 
T'ou  with  an  escort  on  horseback.  The  Taot'ai 
received  him  civilly,  but  ordered  him  to  return 
to  {name  illegible),  as  war  had  broken  out.  While 
signing  a  paper  he  was  seized  from  behind  and  his 

^This  evidently  refers  to  the   late  Captain  Watts  Jones,  R.E., 
who  was  murdered  at  Kwei  Hwa  Ch'eng. 


io8  Fire  and  Sword  in  Shansi 

arms  tied.  Another  account  was  that  he  was 
murdered  by  his  escort  just  outside  the  yamen, 
and  not  seized  inside,  and  that  the  Taot'ai  him- 
self was  not  there. 

"  The  Taot'ai  also  sent  soldiers  to  attack  Tai 
Hai,  where  two  of  our  priests — Pere  Heirman  and 
Mallet  —  and  about  a  thousand  Christians  lived. 
The  latter  had  already  repulsed  three  Boxer  attacks, 
and  the  soldiers  did  not  dare  to  attack.  Treachery 
was  resorted  to,  and  a  number  of  carts  and  an  escort 
sent  with  assurances  that  they  should  be  conducted 
safely  to  Peking  —  the  Mandarin  stating  that  the 
Taot'ai  himself  awaited  the  missionaries  at  Ning 
Yuan.  They  had  hardly  gone  a  mile  when  they 
saw  their  churches  burning  behind  them,  while  the 
Mandarins,  seated  on  the  roof  of  a  house,  looked 
on  laughing.  The  native  Christians  were  then 
forced  to  recant,  or  were  put  to  death.  The 
missionaries  were  taken  to  the  Taot'ai  at  Kwei 
Hwa  Ch'eng.  The  Taot'ai  pretended  to  arrange 
about  their  return  to  Europe,  but  on  leaving 
the  yamen  they  were  seized  by  soldiers  and 
Boxers,  who  put  them  to  death. 

"  The  Taot'ai  then  called  in  his  troops  and  sent 
them  against  us  at  Tieh  Ko  Tan  Kou  in  the  Hou 
Ma  district.  We  numbered  four  priests,  fourteen 
Swedes,  and  sixteen  hundred  Christians.  I  went 
away  to  gather  in  our  people  from  a  station  to  the 
north,   thinking   that  we  should  not  be  attacked. 

1  was   deceived,  as  during    my  absence    on    the 

2  2nd  August  the  place  was  attacked  by  thirteen 
hundred    troops    in  three    columns.     The    attack 


The  Spread  of  Boxerism  in  Shansi     109 

commenced  at  noon,  and  by  four  o'clock  the 
village  was  destroyed.  The  soldiers  were  armed 
with  Mausers,  while  our  people  had  only  thirty 
guns,  three  being  of  European  make.  Thirty-six 
soldiers  were  killed — two  of  them  leaders.  P^res 
Dobbe,  Abbelos,  and  Tylman,  and  the  Swedish 
women  and  children,  were  killed  or  burned  in  the 
church.  Two  of  the  Swedish  missionaries  were 
killed  with  swords,  and  the  third  was  beheaded 
next  day  in  a  neighbouring  village.  The  re- 
mainder of  the  Christians  took  to  flight.  I  heard 
the  news  from  the  fugitives,  and  then  left  with 
a  hundred  refugees  for  Tsi  I  Sou,  now  a  large 
Christian  village,  still  menaced  by  the  Taot'ai. 
This  place  had  not  been  attacked  by  the  soldiers,  but 
had  beaten  off  an  attack  made  by  fifteen  hundred 
Boxers.  The  Taot'ai  who  has  massacred  so  many 
Europeans  is  called  Cheng,  and  arrived  at  Kwei 
Hwa  Ch'eng  about  the  middle  of  June.  He  is 
still  persecuting  Christians  in  some  districts,  though 
he  has  distributed  grain  to  them  in  another." 

From  the  foregoing  it  will  be  seen  that  the 
outbreaks  in  Shansi  were  almost  simultaneous, 
and  undoubtedly  directly  due  to  the  initiative  of 
one  man — Yii  Hsien,  the  Governor  of  the  province. 
That  any  missionaries  escaped  at  all  was  owing 
to  the  friendliness  and  foresight  of  other  officials, 
who  saw  what  injury  was  likely  to  come  to  their 
country  by  the  slaughter  of  innocent  and  helpless 
foreigners.  These  men  were  more  enlightened 
than  their  fellows;  and   if  the  events  of  1900  are 


I  lO  Fire  and  Sword  in  Shansi 

not  to  be  repeated,  it  behoves  the  Christian  Church 
to  at  once  take  steps  to  seek  to  dispel  the  dark- 
ness and  ignorance  still  remaining,  by  sparing 
neither  men  nor  means,  in  order  that  the  "  Light 
of  the  Glorious  Gospel "  may  illuminate  the  sadly 
misnamed  "  Celestial  Empire. " 


DESCRIPTION  OF 
CERTIFICATE  OF   PROTECTION 

The  small  figures  at  the  right-hand  top  cottier  denote  the  amount 

paid  for  the  certificate.     In  this  case  the  sum  paid  was  lyjo 

cash,  the  equivalent  of  about  /j.s.  ^d. 
The  lettering  in  the  top  panel  is  a  notification  from  the  Ydmen  of 

the  district  of  Yang  Chii  Hsien. 
The  right-hand  column  gives  the  date — ( The  7-eign  of)  Kwang  Hsii, 

the  zbth  year,  6th  moon,  sgth  day  {23th  fuly  igoo). 
The  large  characters  in  the  centre  column  indicate  that  the  holder 

has  ^''renounced  the  religion  in  obedience  to  the  official,"  and 

the  small  characters  at  the  side  of  the  centre  column  give  the 

number  in   the  family — ^' all  told,    male   and  female,   seven 

'  mouths '  "  (persons). 
The  left-ha7ul  colutnn  contains  the  name  of  the  holder :  ' '  the  above 

is  given  to  lutoju  {or,  the  scholar  Kuo)  of  the  village  of  I  as  a 

license." 
The  characters  in  red  at  the  left-hatui  side  of  the  certificate  state  that 

"the  least  extortion  is  tiot permitted." 
The  red  squares  are  the  official  seals,  and  the  red  dashes  denote  that 

the  details  have  been  checked  and  registered. 


0 


•eJA>Si 


CHAPTER    III 

After  the  Massacres 

THE  taking  of  Peking,  leading  to  the  flight  of 
the  Court,  appears  to  have  opened  the  eyes 
of  the  Dowager  Empress  to  the  fact  that  she  had 
made  a  mistake,  for  on  reaching  T'ai  Yiian  Fu 
in  September  she  issued  an  edict  forbidding  the 
Boxers  to  drill ;  and  affairs  began  to  improve 
a  little. 

Already,  on  15  th  August  {the  day  after  the 
relief  of  Peking),  the  acting  Governor,  in  the 
absence  of  the  terrible  Yii  Hsien,  issued  a  pro- 
clamation saying  that  all  Christians  who  would 
leave  the  Church  should  be  given  a  certificate 
which  would  protect  them  from  the  extortion 
of  the  yamen  underlings  (who  had  been  fleecing 
them)  and  the  persecutions  of  the  Boxers.  Being 
surrounded  on  all  sides  by  those  who  were  ready 
to  take  advantage  of  their  distress,  many  were  led 
to  apply  for  these  certificates,  and  all  who  did  so 
were  regarded  as  having  recanted. 

The  Court  remained  in  T'ai  Yiian  Fu  till  ist 

October,  and  then  moved  on  to   Hsi  An  Fu  ;  but 

orders  to  recover  the  remains  of  those  massacred 

at  the  former  place  were  not  given  till  December. 

Ill 


112  Fire  and  Sword  in  Shansi 

Having  been  exposed  to  the  ravages  of  wolves 
and  dogs  for  nearly  six  months,  it  is  little  wonder 
that  nothing  could  be  recognised;  but  the  sur- 
viving Christians  gave  the  names  in  Chinese  of 
those  who  had  been  killed,  the  requisite  number 
of  coffins  were  provided,  and  something  (mostly 
cotton-wool)  put  in  to  represent  the  remains ! 
These  were  then  placed  in  a  temporary  mat-shed, 
outside  the  south  gate  of  the  city. 

The  next  step  in  the  way  of  reparation  was  to 
grant  a  little  relief  to  some  of  the  Christians  who, 
having  lost  their  all,  were  likely  to  perish  from 
starvation  and  cold.  The  distribution  of  this  relief, 
being  left  in  the  hands  of  the  local  officials  and 
their  underlings,  was  not  carried  out  very  satis- 
factorily, and  many  of  the  most  needy  were 
neglected,  as  is  shown  b^  the  following  letter 
written  by  the  Christian  photographer  Chu  of  T'ai 
Yiian  Fu  in  February  1901,  and  which  I  received 
when  in  Pao  Ting  Fu  in  March. 

[  Translation^ 

"  Respectful  greetings  to  Pastor  Yeh  Sheo  Chen. 
This  year  Shansi  has  encountered  great  suffering. 
We  should  thank  the  Lord's  mercy  that  we  are 
still  alive.  We  also  thank  the  Lord  that  you  and 
your  family  did  not  meet  death  in  Shansi.  The 
whole  number  of  Western  people  who  died  in  T'ai 
Yiian  Fu  was  forty-six,  i.e.  twelve  French,  and  of 
English,  old  and  young,  men  and  women,  thirty- 
four.  Miss  Coombs  was  burned  to  death.  Of 
the  rest,  at  Hsin   Chou    eight  lost  their  lives ;    at 


After  the  Massacres  113 

T'ai  Ku,  six ;  at  Fen  Chou  Fu,  ten ;  at  Hsiao  Ih 
Hsien,  two;  at  P'ing  Yang  Fu  and  surrounding 
districts,  eighteen.  As  to  other  places,  I  do  not 
know.  In  the  eleventh  moon  a  deputy  of  the 
Governor  named  Wu  coffined  and  buried  the  re- 
mains of  the  missionaries  in  all  the  districts.  The 
Protestants  (Chinese)  suffered  most  severely  in 
T'ai  Ku  and  Shou  Yang,  the  number  of  those  who 
perished  amounting  to  one  hundred  and  seventy 
or  one  hundred  and  eighty.  After  these  places 
come  Hsin  Chou,  Kwo  Hsien,  Ting  Hsiang,  Fan 
Szu,  Tai  Chou,  and  adjoining  districts,  in  which 
more  than  a  hundred  persons  were  killed. 

"  In  these  districts  the  homes  were  looted, 
the  houses  burned,  the  land  sold  by  order  of  their 
respective  villagers ;  and  they  were  fined  and 
compelled  to  provide  theatricals  and  offerings  to 
idols.  Although  the  other  districts  of  Wen  Shui, 
Chao  Cheng,  Ping  Yao,  Fen  Chou  Fu,  and  neigh- 
bourhood suffered  less  severely,  they  were  fined, 
fleeced,  and  oppressed  by  their  fellow -villagers 
until  compelled  to  flee  in  all  directions,  and  are 
now  reduced  to  extreme  poverty. 

"  From  the  sixth  moon,  when  trouble  began,  to 
the  end  of  the  seventh  moon,  when  Yu  Hsien  left, 
we  suffered  persecution  ;  and  from  the  eighth  moon, 
when  Governor  Hsi  took  office,  to  the  present 
time  (one  half-year)  only  two  edicts  for  the 
protection  of  the  Christians  have  appeared ;  and 
these  were  false,  as  the  officials  acted  as  if  they 
had  not  been  issued,  and  the  people  did  not  dread 
the  threatened  punishments.  They  continue  to 
8 


114  Tire,  and  Sword  in  Shansi 

speak  of  the  killing  of  Christians  and  foreigners  as 
a  pleasure.  The  looted  property  of  Christians  is 
publicly  sold  on  the  streets,  no  one  prohibiting. 
The  officials  regard  the  Christians  (Chinese)  as  a 
'  nail  in  the  eye '  (great  nuisance).  Up  to  the 
present  there  has  been  no  official  examination  into 
the  looting  and  killing  of  Christians,  the  idea  of  the 
officials  being  that  this  is  what  Christians  ought  to 
suffer.  At  the  capital  and  the  outside  districts 
Christians  and  inquirers  have  certainly  starved  to 
death ;  and  even  at  present  those  who  were  burned 
out  of  the  hospital  premises  in  T'ai  Yiian  Fu 
have  nothing  to  eat.  I  myself  had  thirty  hundred- 
weight of  millet,  and  of  this  I  distributed  twenty 
hundredweight  among  the  Christians,  and  sold  the 
remainder. 

"  On  the  I  3th  of  the  sixth  moon  the  missionaries 
were  murdered,  and  on  the  14th  my  house  was 
completely  looted  and  my  whole  family  scattered. 
On  the  same  day  the  houses  of  Wang  Chang  Ping 
(of  the  boot  shop)  and  Tien  Shu  Wang  (of  the 
medicine  shop)  were  both  looted,  the  windows  and 
doors  of  their  houses  burned,  and  then  occupied  by 
the  soldiers  of  Sung  Ching,  who  daily  tore  down 
other  parts  of  the  house  for  firing ;  and  then  used  the 
houses  as  stables,  thus  ruining  them  completely. 
During  the  ninth,  tenth  and  eleventh  moons  I 
frequently  met  the  Christians,  and  know  that  many 
had  neither  food  nor  clothes.  I  obtained  from 
non-Christian  friends  one  hundred  odd  strings  of 
cash,  and  am  now  reduced  to  extremities  myself. 
In  the  twelfth    moon  the    districts  of  Yang  Chu 


After  the  Massacres  115 

and  T'ai  Ku  were  relieved  by  the  officials  with  food 
sufficient  for  one  month's  use.  In  other  districts 
no  date  has  been  fixed  for  such  relief  When  I 
hear  the  Christians  recounting  their  sufferings, 
there  is  nothing  to  do  but  weep  together.  I  now 
beg  the  pastor  to  send  by  telegram  or  letter  in- 
structions to  the  official  of  Yang  Chii  district  direct- 
ing him  to  pay  out  from  the  1000  taels  in  his  hands 
(belonging  to  the  English  Baptist  Mission)  certain 
sums  for  the  relief  of  the  extreme  needs  of  the  Chris- 
tians in  each  district.  Also  please  ask  the  benevo- 
lent people  of  the  Church  to  quickly  subscribe  and 
send  funds  for  the  relief  of  our  present  distress. 

"  I  can  at  present  obtain  no  reliable  news. 
Everyone  says  peace  is  declared.  Will  the 
soldiers  of  your  nation  really  come  to  Shansi  or 
not?  If  not,  the  ignorant  people  here  can  by  no 
means  be  controlled.  If  the  soldiers  come,  the 
officials  of  Shansi  should  be  instructed  to  issue 
proclamations  in  every  place  informing  the  people 
that  they  only  come  on  account  of  Church  affairs, 
and  that  the  foreign  soldiers  will  not  offend  (the 
people)  in  the  very  least ;  that  they  will  pay  for 
all  they  take,  and  certainly  will  not  disturb  the 
country ;  and  the  people  must  attend  (quietly)  to 
their  usual  affairs  and  not  fear.  If  proclamations 
are  to  be  issued  before  the  foreign  troops  come  to 
settle  the  affairs  of  the  Church,  or  if  there  is  any 
other  method  of  managing  the  matter,  please  let 
me  know,  so  that  I  may  not  be  always  thinking 
about  these  things. 

"  At   present    there    are    four   girl   pupils   who 


Ii6  Fire  and  Sword  in  Shansi 

were  at  Tung  Chia  Hsiang  (Miss  Coombs'  girls' 
school)  still  alive — Pao  Chii,  Chia  Loh,  Ch'eo  Nu, 
and  Fu  Jung.  Three  of  these  are  at  the  home 
of  the  woman  called  Shih,  who  keeps  them  by 
restraint,  and  will  not  hand  them  over  (to  their 
friends).  Pao  Chii  has  already  been  defiled  by 
men  in  an  unendurable  manner,  Chia  Loh  has  been 
sold  to  a  man,  Ch'eo  Nu  is  still  at  the  house  of  the 
woman  Shih,  Fu  Jung  has  been  stolen  and  sold. 
If  a  telegram  can  be  sent  to  the  Governor  of  Shansi, 
these  four  girls  can  be  recovered.  The  sooner  these 
children  are  saved  the  less  will  they  be  defiled. 

"  At  present  the  Christians  are  still  suffering. 
With  houses  burned,  their  friends  killed,  their 
property  looted,  their  grain  stolen,  and  made 
again  to  pay  the  temple  taxes,  no  one  inquires 
into  their  case.  They  will  soon  be  either  frozen 
or  starved  to  death.  The  officials  still  expect 
them  to  pay  the  taxes.  Pray,  quickly  have  a 
telegram  sent  to  the  Governor  to  say  that  the 
Christians  need  not  this  year  pay  the  taxes,  as  they 
have  passed  through  such  heavy  troubles.  The 
Christians  of  Fen  Chou  Fu,  T'ai  Yuan  Fu,  Hsin 
Chou,  and  Tai  Chou, — altogether  fifteen  districts, 
— amounting  to  more  than  four  thousand  people, 
have  had  eight-tenths  or  nine-tenths  of  their 
property  destroyed.  We  have  also  had  a  very 
bad  year  (famine),  and  if  we  do  not  obtain  relief 
by  next  spring  all  the  Christians  will  starve.  We 
trust  that  at  an  early  date  our  pastors  may  be 
able  to  return  to  Shansi,  by  the  grace  of  God,  to 
help  His  Church." 


After  the  Massacres  117 

That  his  description  of  the  attitude  of  the 
people  towards  the  Christians  is  not  exaggerated, 
is  evidenced  by  the  fact  that,  when  the  notorious 
Yii  Hsien  left  T'ai  Yiian  Fu  on  1 2th  October  1900, 
he  was  escorted  by  the  people,  gentry  and  scholars, 
with  every  expression  of  respect  and  regret.  On 
the  streets  along  which  he  passed  were  set  tables 
on  which  were  tea  and  cakes;  and  at  the  city  gate 
he  was  asked  for  his  old  boots  to  place  in  a  cage 
at  the  gateway — a  custom  the  Chinese  have  when 
they  are  losing  a  magistrate  whom  they  greatly 
admire.  For  months  after,  he  was  eulogised  by 
the  people  for  what  he  had  done ;  and  a  tablet  to 
his  honour  was  erected  outside  the  south  gate,  the 
expense  of  which  was  borne  by  six  of  the  merchant 
guilds. 

Meanwhile  the  passes  on  the  Chihli-Shansi 
border  were  most  carefully  guarded,  to  prevent,  if 
possible,  the  foreign  troops  following  the  Court. 
An  agreement  was  entered  into  by  the  Allies  and 
Li  Hung  Chang  as  representing  the  Chinese 
Government,  that  the  former  should  not  go  west 
of  the  passes,  and  that  Chinese  troops  should  not 
move  to  the  east  of  that  line.  While  the  Germans 
watched  the  northern  part,  the  French  had  taken 
up  their  position  at  Hwai  Luh  Hsien,  where  they 
controlled  the  road  into  Shansi  by  the  Ku  Kwan 
Pass,  the  most  important  route  of  all.  The 
Germans  had  several  encounters  with  Chinese 
troops  whose  leaders  would  not  keep  to  the  terms 
of  the  agreement ;  and  at  last  drove  the  Chinese 
back,  so  that  eventually  the  Germans  held  a  post 


Ii8  Fire  and  Sword  in  Shansi 

close  to  the  famous  mountain  of  Wu  T'ai,  within 
90  miles  of  T'ai  Yiian  Fu.  Notwithstanding  this, 
the  people  of  Shansi  had  made  up  their  minds 
that  foreign  troops  would  never  be  able  to  enter 
their  province.  Had  they  not  got  the  redoubtable 
General  Sung  Ching,  eighty  years  of  age  ?  Then 
they  had  their  high  mountain  ranges,  and  above 
all  they  had  their  brave  local  militia ! 

So  carefully  were  the  main  passes  guarded  that 
all  cart  traffic  to  and  from  the  province  was 
completely  suspended,  and  only  a  few  travellers 
on  foot  managed  to  pass  the  barriers.  The  few 
who  ventured  to  travel  were  most  carefully  searched 
to  see  if  they  had  anything  to  show  they  were 
connected  with  foreigners,  and  for  a  time  only 
those  who  could  produce  their  card  or  give  a 
satisfactory  account  of  themselves  were  allowed  to 
proceed.  Even  some  native  scouts  sent  by  the 
Germans,  disguised  as  beggars,  were  not  allowed  to 
pass  the  patrols. 

Thus  things  continued  until  about  the  middle 
of  April  1 90 1,  when  the  German  General  (von 
Kettler)  at  Pao  Ting  Fu  received  orders  from 
Count  von  Waldersee  at  Peking  to  prepare  for  an 
advance  to  the  borders  of  Shansi.  It  appeared 
that  the  Chinese  General  in  charge  of  the  troops 
about  the  Ku  Kwan  Pass  would  not  only  not  obey 
the  orders  of  his  own  superiors  and  retire  beyond 
the  border  as  previously  agreed  upon,  but  was 
constantly  strengthening  his  position  ;  and  Count 
von  Waldersee  had  decided  that  he  must  be 
driven  back.      Having  received  his  orders,  General 


After  the  Massacres  T19 

von  Kettler  at  once  began  to  make  preparations, 
and  the  advance  commenced  on  17th  April, 

Not  wishing  to  go  by  the  main  road,  which 
was  practically  occupied  by  the  French,  a  small 
mountain  pass  by  way  of  Ping  Shan  had  to  be 
followed,  which  made  transport  by  waggon  most 
difficult.  Notwithstanding  this,  the  passes  were 
reached  and  taken  on  25th  April.  At  the  last 
moment  the  French  General  (Bailloud)  had 
received  permission  from  his  superior  in  Peking 
to  advance,  but  was  just  a  day  too  late ;  as  when 
he  finally  advanced  to  the  Ku  Kwan  Pass  he  met 
— not  the  Chinese,  but — the  returning  Germans, 
who  had  forced  that  barrier  and  were  on  their 
way  back.  Though  the  Germans  came  in  sight 
of  Chinese  troops  at  five  different  passes,  at  only 
one  was  any  real  opposition  offered ;  and  there 
they  lost  one  officer  and  eight  men  killed,  and 
two  officers  and  forty-three  men  wounded.  The 
defeated  Chinese  troops,  fearing  that  they  would 
be  followed  by  the  foreign  soldiers,  hastily  re- 
treated, looting  and  pillaging  their  own  people  as 
they  went;  carrying  off  not  only  money  and 
goods,  but  even  young  women  and  girls,  together 
with  a  large  number  of  horses,  mules,  donkeys, 
etc. 

The  news  of  the  defeat  soon  reached  T'ai  Yiian 
Fu,  and  so  great  was  the  consternation  there  that 
about  five  hundred  acting  and  expecting  officials 
at  once  fled  with  their  families  to  what  they  con- 
sidered places  of  greater  safety.  The  Governor, 
not  knowing  that  both  the  Germans  and  French 


I20  Fire  and  Sword  in  Shansi 

were  on  their  way  back  to  Pao  Ting  Fu,  immedi- 
ately called  for  Shen  Taot'ai  and  asked  him  what 
plan  could  be  adopted  to  prevent  the  foreign 
troops  advancing  on  T'ai  Yiian  Fu.  "  You  must 
at  once  follow  my  advice,"  said  Shen.  "  Yes, — 
yes,  what  is  it  ?  "  replied  the  Governor.  "  You 
must  immediately  invite  the  Protestant  mission- 
aries back  to  the  province  to  settle  their  affairs, 
while  I  will  go  to  meet  the  foreign  troops,  and  try 
to  persuade  them  to  go  back."  The  Governor 
agreed  to  this,  and  the  following  telegram  was 
despatched  to  Rev.  Dr.  Richard  through  the 
Shanghai  Taot'ai : — 

Telegram  to  Shanghai  Taofai. 

"  In  Shansi  there  are  no  Protestant  mission- 
aries at  present,  and  therefore  we  have  no  means 
of  settling  the  missionary  troubles.  We  have 
decided  to  ask  Rev.  Timothy  Richard,  who  was 
long  a  missionary  here,  to  come  to  Shansi.  Please 
translate  our  telegram,  and  send  him,  and  greatly 
oblige, — Shansi  Governor,  Ts'en  Ch'un  Hsuan." 

"To  THE  Rev.  Timothy  Richard. 

"  Dear  Sir,  —  Last  year  the  Boxers  arose 
everywhere  in  Shansi,  and  the  Christians  suffered 
widely  at  their  hands.  This  was  the  fault  of 
the  local  officials  and  their  underlings,  and  the 
Chinese  Government  is  extremely  grieved  about 
it.  I  have  been  ordered  to  be  the  Governor, 
and,  in  obedience  to  instructions,  am  to  settle  all 
the  missionary  troubles.      Being  quite  ignorant  of 


Taot'ai  Shen  Tun  Ho,  Head  of  the  Foreign  Ikireau.  T"ai  Viian  Vu.  1901-1902. 


After  the  Massacres  121 

these  affairs,  and  fearing  that  I  shall  not  be  able 
to  settle  matters  properly,  but  perhaps  increase 
them,  I  memorialised  the  Throne  to  appoint  Lao 
Nai  Shuen  of  Board  of  Rites,  the  Taot'ais  Shen 
Tun  Ho,  Wei  Han,  and  Prefect  Lu  Tsung  Siang, 
to  come  to  Shansi  to  manage  these  missionary- 
affairs.  Shen  Tun  Ho  has  already  arrived.  As 
there  is  not  a  single  Protestant  missionary  in 
Shansi,  we  have  no  means  of  consulting  them  as 
to  what  to  do,  and  therefore  we  are  in  extreme 
difficulty. 

"  We  have  heard  that  you  are  eminent  for 
being  fair  in  all  your  dealings  with  China,  and, 
having  been  in  Shansi  before,  all  the  people 
believe  in  you  as  altogether  upright.  Both 
officials  and  people  are  unanimous  in  this  report. 
Last  winter  you  made  inquiries  about  the 
Christians,  and  thus  we  know  that  you  are  still 
interested  in  this  province,  for  which  we  are  very 
glad.  Moreover,  when  these  troubles  are  settled, 
then  trade  will  revive  again  ;  therefore,  according 
to  Western  custom,  I  beg  that  you  should  come 
as  a  commissioner  to  settle  the  missionary  and 
commercial  troubles  of  Shansi.  We  have  long 
known  of  your  great  kindness  of  heart,  and 
therefore  I  beg  of  you  not  to  decline;  then 
indeed  it  will  be  a  happy  day  for  us.  Whenever 
you  leave,  please  wire,  and  we  will  send  civil  and 
military  officials  to  meet  you.  But  if  you  cannot 
possibly  come,  please  recommend  some  other  good 
man  to  come  to  Shansi  to  help  us.  Still,  I  greatly 
hope  you  will  be  able  to  come.     I  have  also  asked 


122  Fire  and  Sword  in  Shansi 

Shen  Taot'ai  to  write  a  letter  to  invite  you. — With 
great  respect,  I  am,  yours  very  truly, 

(Signed)  «  Ts'en   Ch'UN   Hsuan." 

It  is  significant  to  note  that  this  telegram  was 
received  by  Dr.  Richard  within  four  days  of  the 
taking  of  the  passes  by  the  Germans.  At  the 
same  time  the  Governor  sent  a  telegram  to  Li 
Hung  Chang  and  Prince  Ch'ing  at  Peking,  asking 
them  to  use  their  influence  with  the  British  Minister 
and  get  him  to  wire  to  Dr.  Richard  asking  him 
to  proceed  at  once  to  Shansi. 

In  response  to  this  invitation  Dr.  Richard 
arrived  in  Peking  on  14th  May,  and  at  once  had 
interviews  with  the  Chinese  and  some  of  the 
foreign  Plenipotentiaries.  He  also  saw  the  lead- 
ing Protestant  and  Roman  Catholic  missionaries, 
in  order  to  find  out  what  was  being  done  for  the 
settlement  of  missionary  troubles  in  the  province 
of  Chihli.  On  29th  May  Dr.  Richard,  Dr. 
Atwood  (American  Board),  and  myself  had  an 
interview  with  Li  Hung  Chang,  and  presented  the 
following  plan  of  regulations  for  the  settlement  of 
Mission  troubles  in  Shansi : — 

[  Translation?^ 

"I.  In  every  district  there  are  many  who  should 
according  to  law  be  executed  for  having  killed 
and  injured  the  Christians ;  but  as  they  were 
encouraged  to  do  so  by  the  officials  and  deceived 
by  the  Boxers,  we  would  not  wish  that  all  should 
be    so    punished,   but    only    the    leader    in    each 


After  the  Massacres  123 

district,  as  a  warning  to  others ;  and  even  in  his 
case  we  would  suggest  he  be  leniently  dealt  with, 
if  the  Governor  approves  and  recommends. 

"  2.  But  since  the  gentry  and  people  joined 
together  to  injure  the  Christians,  though  they 
escape  the  extreme  penalty  of  the  law  they 
cannot  say  they  are  without  fault,  and  those  who 
pillaged  the  Christians  should  be  fined  for  the 
support  of  those  made  orphans  and  widows  last 
year. 

"  3.  The  whole  province  should  be  fined  the 
sum  of  Tls,  500,000  (about  ;^66,ooo),  to  be  paid 
in  ten  yearly  instalments.  But  this  money  should 
not  be  for  the  foreigners  or  for  the  Christians,  but 
for  the  opening  of  schools  throughout  the  province, 
where  the  sons  of  the  officials  and  gentry  could 
obtain  useful  knowledge,  and  so  would  not  be 
deceived  again  (as  last  year).  These  schools 
should  be  under  the  charge  of  one  Chinese  and 
one  foreigner. 

"  4.  In  every  place  where  Christians  were 
murdered  a  monument  should  be  erected,  stating 
clearly  how  the  Boxers  originated,  and  that  the 
Christians  were  killed  without  cause. 

"5.  In  some  cases  the  missionaries  of  the  five 
Protestant  societies  (in  Shansi)  have  either  all 
been  killed  or  returned  to  their  own  country,  so 
that  these  societies  cannot  all  send  missionaries 
back  at  once ;  but  when  they  do  return  they 
should  be  suitably  received  by  the  officials, 
gentry,  and  people,  who  should  also  apologise 
(for  the  deeds  of  last  year). 


124  ^*^^^  ^^^  Sword  In  Shansi 

"  6.  If  the  difficulty  of  the  Church  is  to  be 
settled  permanently,  the  Chinese  officials  should 
be  instructed  to  treat  both  Christians  and  non- 
Christians  alike.  If  Christians  disobey  the  law, 
they  should  be  treated  according  to  law ;  but  if 
(on  the  other  hand)  they  are  worthy,  they  should 
be  promoted  to  office.  Wherever  this  plan  has  been 
adopted  from  ancient  times  to  the  present,  it  has 
not  failed  to  pacify  (the  country).  If  this  plan  is 
not  adopted,  I  fear  there  will  be  continued  trouble. 

"  7.  When  the  present  troubles  are  settled,  a 
list  of  both  leaders  and  followers  of  the  Boxers 
should  be  kept  in  the  yamens ;  and  if  they  again 
trouble  the  Christians,  they  should  be  severely 
punished  and  not  forgiven." 

[With  regard  to  clause  three,  when  it  is 
remembered  how  much  is  annually  spent  on 
theatricals,  etc.,  the  sum  mentioned  will  be  seen 
to  be  very  small  indeed.  For  each  year  the  sum 
would  only  be  ^^7000,  and  this  distributed  over 
the  whole  province.  In  the  district  of  Hsin  Chou 
alone  (comprising  three  hundred  and  sixty  villages), 
more  than  this  is  annually  spent  on  theatricals ; 
and,  what  with  the  entertaining  of  friends  and 
other  incidentals,  the  sum  is  about  doubled.  In 
rich  districts,  such  as  T'ai  Ku  and  Ping  Yao,  far 
more  than  the  ;£'7000  is  annually  spent  on  such 
entertainments.  When  the  schools  suggested  are 
in  operation  and  the  people  realise  the  benefits 
they  confer  on  them,  it  is  probable  they  will  come 
forward  and  voluntarily  subscribe  far  more  than 


After  the  Massacres  125 

is  now  suggested,  for  the  establishment  of  other 
schools.      (See  page  165.) 

In  the  foregoing  propositions  nothing  was  said 
as  to  indemnity  for  the  destroyed  Mission  build- 
ings or  personal  property  of  missionaries,  as  these 
matters  were  in  the  hands  of  the  Ministers  repre- 
senting the  different  Powers.] 

Li  Hung  Chang  received  us  in  foreign  fashion 
by  shaking  hands  ;  and  the  room  in  which  we  found 
him  was  furnished  partly  in  European  and  partly 
in  Chinese  style.  Physically  he  was  very  weak, 
and  had  two  servants  to  support  him  while  stand- 
ing; but  his  mind  was  clear  and  active.  Dr. 
Richard  had  often  met  him  before.  He  asked 
Dr.  Atwood  and  myself  how  long  we  had  been  in 
China,  and  in  what  province.  By  leading  questions 
he  then  gave  me  the  opportunity  of  telling  him 
how  the  Shansi  people  had  been  noted  for  their 
quietness  up  till  last  year,  and  how  the  Boxer 
outbreak  began  soon  after  the  arrival  of  Yu  Hsien 
as  Governor.  He  was  quite  anxious,  too,  to  hear 
all  I  could  tell  him  of  the  burning  of  our  hospital 
and  the  massacre  of  the  missionaries  at  T'ai  Yiian 
Fu.  "  And  were  they  killed  in  front  of  the 
yamen  ?  "  he  asked.  "  Such  is  the  statement  of 
men  who  say  they  were  eye-witnesses,"  I  replied. 
"  And  was  YU  Hsien  himself  present  ? "  Of 
course  there  was  but  one  answer  to  that — "  Yes  "  ; 
and  he  exclaimed,  "  Abominable  !  "  Throughout 
he  listened  most  attentively  and  sympathetically, 
getting  me  to  continue  by  further  questions  when 
I  stopped,  lest  I  should  be  wearying  him. 


126  Fire  and  Sword  In  Shansi 

"  Well  then,"  he  said,  after  he  had  questioned 
us,  "  what  have  you  come  about  to-day  ?  "  Dr. 
Richard  then  handed  to  him  the  suggestions  for 
the  settlement  of  Mission  troubles  in  Shansi.  He 
read  them  through  most  carefully,  called  for  a 
pen,  and  only  marked  one  sentence  of  which  he 
disapproved.  Having  finished  reading  he  said, 
"  Yes,  the  proposals  are  very  good,  but  I  fear  the 
people  of  Shansi  are  too  poor  to  carry  some  of 
them  out."  Dr.  Richard  and  he  then  had  a  long 
and  most  interesting  talk  on  the  settlement  of 
affairs  concerning  the  Christians  in  China  generally. 
"  Well  now,  what  would  you  propose  ?  "  he  asked. 
Dr.  Richard  wisely  replied  that  it  was  too  wide 
a  subject  to  answer  off-hand,  but  he  would  put 
his  proposals  in  writing.  Throughout  the  whole 
interview  (which  lasted  an  hour  and  a  half)  he 
evinced  great  interest  in  the  subjects  we  brought 
before  him  ;  and  Dr.  Richard  said  he  had  seldom 
seen  him  so  much  in  earnest. 

Dr.  Richard  himself  was  unable  to  go  to 
Shansi,  but  the  representatives  of  four  societies 
working  in  that  province  met  him  in  Peking,  and 
after  consultation  decided  to  go  In  response  to  the 
invitation  of  the  Governor.  The  party  consisted 
of  Messrs.  D.  E.  Hoste,  A.  Orr  Ewing,  C.  H. 
Tjader,  and  Ernest  Taylor  of  the  China  Inland 
Mission ;  Mr.  Moir  Duncan  and  Dr.  Creasy 
Smith  of  the  Baptist  Mission;  Dr.  Atwood  of  the 
American  Board  ;  and  myself^     The  Governor  had 

'  Major  Pereira,  Grenadier  Guards,  accompanied  us  in  an  un- 
official capacity. 


After  the  Massacres  127 

sent  a  special  envoy  or  Wei  Yiian  to  Peking  to 
act  as  escort ;  and  our  journey  began  auspiciously 
on  22nd  June,  when  we  travelled  by  train  to  Pao 
Ting  Fu,  and  were  there  most  hospitably  enter- 
tained by  the  local  officials,  who  had  fitted  up  an 
inn  for  us  very  comfortably.  Four  of  our  party 
were  kindly  accommodated  by  Mr.  Lowrie  of 
the  American  Presbyterian  Mission,  who  did  all 
he  could  to  make  our  stay  agreeable. 

Here  we  had  to  remain  till  Wednesday  26th, 
as  mule-litters  had  been  sent  on  ahead  of  us  to 
Ting  Chou,  and  would  take  nearly  two  days  to 
reach  there,  while  by  train  we  should  arrive  in  a 
few  hours.  We  left  Pao  Ting  Fu  on  the  morning 
of  the  26th,  and  the  Nieh  T'ai  (provincial  judge) 
travelled  by  the  same  train,  as  he  was  going  round 
part  of  the  province  (Chihli)  on  a  tour  of  in- 
spection. At  Ting  Chou  we  found  two  places 
prepared  for  us,  one  of  them  being  the  same 
house  in  which  General  von  Kettler  had  stayed. 
Soon  after  arriving  the  local  official  paid  us  a  visit, 
which  we  afterwards  returned.  Having  come  to 
the  terminus  of  the  railway,  the  next  day  (Thurs- 
day 27th  June)  we  took  to  our  mule  -  litters 
and  travelled  to  Hsin  Loh  Hsien  under  Chinese 
escort.  Some  distance  outside  the  town  we  were 
received  by  the  local  official  and  representatives  of 
the  gentr)^,  who  also  called  upon  us  at  the  inn 
which  they  had  prepared  for  our  accommodation. 

Here  we  reached  the  limits  of  the  French  lines, 
and  were  asked  by  the  officer  in  command  to  sign 
a  paper,  which   said  that   he   had  warned  us    of 


128  Fire  and  Sword  in  Shansi 

reported  disturbances  in  Shansi,  and  that  we  went 
on  at  our  own  risk  and  on  our  own  responsibility. 

Cheng  Ting  Fu  was  reached  on  Friday  28th, 
and  here  we  were  entertained  by  the  abbot  of  a 
large  Buddhist  monastery,  our  provisions  being 
supplied  by  the  local  officials.  This  monastery 
is  celebrated  because  it  possesses  two  Imperial 
tablets — one  presented  by  the  Emperor  Kang 
Hsi,  and  the  other  by  the  Emperor  Chien  Lung. 
It  also  boasts,  perhaps,  the  largest  idol  in  the 
country,  which  stands  some  70  Chinese  feet 
above  its  pedestal.  The  house  in  which  it  is 
located  has  been  allowed  to  fall  into  ruins,  so  that 
its  head  protrudes  through  the  roof.  The  whole 
figure  is  covered  with  thick  bronze  plates.  At 
this  city  we  met  the  first  of  the  "  Shansi  police  " 
— a  body  of  men  organised  by  Shen  Taot'ai  of  the 
Imperial  Foreign  Office,  T'ai  Yiian  Fu,  to  escort 
foreigners,  and  Chinese  merchants  travelling  with 
treasure,  to  and  from  Shansi.  There  are  nine 
posts  in  all,  and  at  each  post  are  ten  men,  under 
the  command  of  an  officer — all  the  officers  having 
been  cadets  at  the  Shansi  Military  Academy, 
established  by  Governor  Hu  some  three  years  ago, 
but  abolished  by  the  infamous  Yii  Hsien. 

On  Saturday  29th  we  reached  Hwai  Luh 
Hsien,  but  met  with  a  very  cool  reception ;  for 
not  only  was  the  official  not  at  the  gate  to 
welcome  us,  but  he  had  deputed  no  one  to  act 
for  him  or  to  show  us  to  our  quarters.  Our 
escort  ascertained  for  themselves  where  we  were 
to  be  located,  and  we  found  it  most  inadequate 


After  the  Massacres  129 

accommodation.  Consequently,  when  the  official 
sent  his  card  we  declined  to  receive  it,  and  also 
refused  the  meagre  repast  which  he  provided. 
This  soon  brought  him  to  his  senses,  and  before 
long  he  had  whipped  up  representatives  of  the 
gentry  and  merchants,  whom  he  sent  to  visit  us 
and  offer  apology.  He  also  assisted  our  envoy 
or  Wei  Yiian  to  find  other  accommodation  for 
us,  had  it  suitably  fitted  up,  and  there  awaited 
our  arrival.  After  this  everything  went  smoothly  ; 
and  he  did  all  he  could  for  us,  making  ample 
amends  for  the  slight  he  had  put  upon  us  on 
our  arrival.  We  felt  it  necessary  to  act  as  we 
did,  because  he  was  in  office  during  1900,  and  did 
little  or  nothing  to  help  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Green  or 
to  suppress  the  Boxers ;  and  also  for  the  sake 
of  those  who  might  come  to  recommence  work 
there. 

Before  leaving  Hwai  Luh  Hsien  a  French 
deserter  arrived,  much  to  the  consternation  of  the 
official.  On  the  advice  of  Major  Pereira,  he 
consented  to  return  to  the  French  lines  under 
Chinese  escort. 

Here  other  mules  had  to  be  hired  for  our 
luggage,  as  carts  were  no  longer  available.  Our 
escort  was  further  added  to  by  the  arrival  of  an 
officer  with  some  fifteen  soldiers,  who  had  been 
sent  by  the  Governor  of  Shansi.  Among  them 
were  four  standard-bearers  and  two  trumpeters, 
and  with  our  long  caravan  we  made  quite  a  brave 
show.  At  each  place  where  we  stayed  we  were 
met  by  the  official  and  representatives  of  the 
9 


130  Fire  and  Sword  in  Shansi 

gentry  in  full  dress ;  and  they  also  escorted  us 
some  little  distance  when  we  left.  Suitable 
accommodation  was  everywhere  provided  for  us, 
and  at  each  place  we  were  supplied  with  food. 

The  reception  at  T'ai  Yiian  Fu  was  everything 
that  could  be  desired ;  the  Taot'ai  and  Shen 
Taot'ai  (head  of  the  Foreign  Board  there),  with 
representatives  of  the  gentry  and  merchants,  and 
several  military  officials,  meeting  us  about  half  a 
mile  from  the  city  at  the  Reception  Hall,  where 
high  officials  coming  to  the  city  are  generally 
received.  There  we  sipped  tea  and  chatted  for 
a  time,  and  then  proceeded  to  the  city,  accom- 
panied by  our  old  escort  and  others,  so  that  we 
had  about  thirty  outriders.  By  this  time  a  great 
crowd  had  collected,  and  we  passed  along  streets 
thronged  with  people.  At  the  house  prepared 
for  us  we  were  met  by  the  Fant'ai ;  also  the 
Taot'ai  and  Shen  Taot'ai — the  two  latter  having 
passed  us  in  their  chairs,  in  order  to  be  there 
to  receive  us.  After  chatting  and  sipping  tea 
in  the  guest-room  for  some  time,  Shen  Taot'ai 
said  :  "  And  now  I  will  show  you  your  chambers." 
Following  him  to  the  next  court  he  pointed  to 
one  room  and  said  :  "  This  is  your  bath-room." 
Then  we  went  to  the  dining-room,  and  found  the 
table  tastefully  arranged  in  foreign  fashion  with 
flowers  and  fruits.  Here  we  sat  and  again  sipped 
tea ;  and  it  was  quite  late  in  the  evening  before 
our  hosts  took  their  departure,  leaving  us  to 
partake  of  a  foreign-prepared  dinner.  The  courts 
were  lit  with  lamps,  and  the  street  in  front  of  the 


After  the  Massacres  131 

house  was  quite  illuminated.  Two  of  our  teachers 
slipped  out  among  the  people  to  hear  what  they 
might  say.  One  man  was  heard  to  remark : 
"  Why,  these  foreigners  have  been  received  better 
than  a  prince  would  be."  Another  said  :  "  They 
have  certainly  done  the  thing  in  very  good  style." 
They  heard  nothing  but  approval  of  the  recep- 
tion. While  we  were  so  comfortably  settled,  our 
thoughts  constantly  reverted  to  the  events  of  the 
year  before.  We  accepted  the  attentions  not  only 
as  an  expression  of  regret  for  what  had  happened, 
but  also  as  a  mark  of  honour  to  those  who  fell. 

By  a  remarkable  coincidence,  and  without  any 
prearrangement  on  our  part,  we  arrived  at  T'ai 
Yiian  Fu  on  the  first  anniversary  of  the  massacre 
in  that  city — 9th  July. 

The  next  day  we  paid  return  calls  on  the 
officials;  and  on  the  Friday  (the  iith)  we  were 
invited  to  a  feast  with  the  Fant'ai  (Treasurer) 
and  other  high  Mandarins.  It  was  in  semi- 
foreign  style,  the  tables  being  most  tastefully 
decorated  with  fruits,  sweetmeats,  etc.  After- 
wards we  were  all  photographed  together ;  and 
the  Taot'ai  was  in  quite  a  jocular  mood,  for  he 
said :  "  The  Boxers  will  certainly  say  we  are  Er 
Mao  tzus  (secondary  foreigners)  now ;  and  they 
will  have  the  evidence,  for  here  we  are  being  taken 
with  the  Yang  Kwei  tzus  (foreign  devils) !  "  It 
was  all  said  in  such  a  friendly  way  that  one  could 
not  take  offence. 

On  Saturday  the  i  2th  we  had  our  first  business 
interview  with  the  officials,  when  they  laid  before 


132  Fire  and  Sword  in  Shansi 

us  their  proposals  for  the  settlement  of  affairs ; 
and — thanks  to  the  pressure  which  had  been 
brought  to  bear  on  them  from  Peking  after  our 
interview  with  Li  Hung  Chang  —  these  were 
considered  quite  adequate.  They  agreed  that 
there  should  be  a  public  funeral  with  full  Chinese 
ceremonial,  to  be  attended  by  the  officials  and 
gentry.  The  coffins  containing  the  remains  of 
the  martyrs  had  already  been  buried  ;  two 
hundred  workmen  having  been  engaged  night 
and  day  for  ten  days,  so  as  to  get  everything 
done  before  our  arrival. 

It  was  agreed,  too,  that  the  house  where  the 
missionaries  were  kept  previous  to  the  massacres 
should  be  demolished,  a  pavilion  with  tablet  and 
inscription  erected  on  the  site,  and  the  ground 
around  made  into  a  garden.  Memorial  tablets 
were  to  be  placed  in  a  wall  close  to  the  scene 
of  massacre,  and  a  large  stone  erected  outside 
the  south  gate  of  the  city  on  the  exact  spot 
where  the  tablet  to  the  infamous  Yii  Hsien  had 
been  put  up. 

It  was  not  till  the  nth  June  1902  that  the 
first  of  these  commemorative  tablets — that  near 
the  Governor's  yamen — was  erected.  The  stone, 
though  of  large  dimensions,  was,  alas  !  so  crowded 
with  names  that  there  was  but  room  for  the 
briefest  inscription  to  the  effect  that  the  memorial 
stone  was  erected  "  In  memory  of  the  Christian 
missionaries  who  laid  down  their  lives  in  T'ai 
Yiian  Fu  in  July  1900";  while  in  Chinese  it 
was  stated    that    they  had    sacrificed    their   lives 


^AO    I1NC~RJ 


1.  Mr  Ernest  Taylor.  6.  iJr  Atwood. 

2.  Mr  Tjader.  7.  Dr  Creasy  Smith. 

3.  Mr  A.  Orr  Ewing.  8.   Mr  Moir  B.  Duncan. 

4.  Mr  D.  E.  Hoste.  9.  Dr  E.  H.  Edwards. 

5.  Official  sent  by  Governor  of  .Shansi  as  Head  of  Escort. 

First  Party  of  Protestant  Missionaries  to  enter  Shansi  after  the  Massacre. 
Start  from  Pao  Ting  Fu. 


(  )iii"    Ivsi'ori    111   >li.iii- 


After  the  Massacres  133 

for  religion.  The  names  of  the  thirty  -  four 
martyrs  were  engraved  both  in  English  and 
Chinese. 

On  the  day  of  the  ceremony  a  small  pavilion 
had  been  erected  opposite  the  stone,  and  there 
H.  E.  Shen  Taot'ai,  the  Chihfu  (Prefect),  and 
the  Chihhsien  (Sub-Prefect),  with  other  officials, 
received  the  missionaries  and  the  professors  of 
the  new  university,  including  Dr.  Richard.  The 
streets  were  lined  with  a  company  of  the  military 
police,  and  the  ceremony  consisted  of  a  brief 
oration  by  H.  E.  Shen  Taot'ai  to  the  effect  that 
the  Governor  greatly  regretted  the  massacre,  and 
that  by  order  from  the  Throne  the  stone  had  been 
erected ;  that  although  dead  these  missionaries 
would  be  held  in  continual  honour;  and  that 
officials  and  people  greatly  appreciated  the 
generous  forbearance  of  the  Christian  Church. 
To  this  the  Rev.  Arthur  Sowerby  made  a 
suitable  reply,  stating  that,  although  the  dead 
could  not  be  restored  to  life,  it  was  gratifying 
to  have  their  innocence  thus  publicly  proclaimed, 
and  it  was  the  earnest  hope  of  the  missionaries 
that  the  truths  for  which  these  men  and  women 
had  died  might  prove  acceptable  to  the  officials 
and  people  of  China,  and  that  thus  China  and  the 
West  might  be  united  in  the  worship  of  the 
Almighty  Creator,  in  the  faith  of  Jesus  Christ, 
and  in  brotherliness  and  harmony,  and  then 
these  martyrs  would  not  have  died  in  vain. 
With  the  presentation  of  arms  by  the  troops, 
and  some  military  music,  the  brief  but  impressive 


134  Fire  and  Sword  in  Shansi 

ceremony  came  to  an  end.  The  China  Inland 
Mission  was  represented  by  the  Rev.  Dugald  and 
Mrs.  Lawson,  and  the  English  Baptist  Mission 
by  the  Revs.  J.  J.  Turner  and  Arthur  Sowerby.^ 

It  was  further  arranged  at  our  interview  with 
the  officials  in  July  1901  that  the  funeral  cere- 
monies at  T'ai  Yiian  Fu  were  to  be  repeated  at 
every  place  in  Shansi  where  foreigners  had  been 
massacred ;  cemeteries  made  and  kept  in  order  at 
public  expense,  and  suitable  commemorative  tablets 
erected. 

With  regard  to  the  Indemnity  question,  before 
leaving  Peking  we  had  been  informed  by  the 
British  Minister  that,  where  claims  for  the  pro- 
perty of  missions  or  missionaries  had  been  put  in, 
these  would  be  settled  by  an  official  appointed  by 
the  British  Legation.  The  indemnities  for  the 
Chinese  Christians  were  to  be  settled  locally,  and 
at  our  meeting  with  the  officials  at  T'ai  Yiian  Fu 
they  agreed  that  this  should  be  done.  The  settle- 
ment arrived  at  will  be  referred  to  subsequently. 

Another  point  discussed  and  settled  was  the 
punishment  of  the  Boxers,  As  so  many  people 
were  involved,  and  as  to  severely  punish  all  con- 
cerned would  undoubtedly  help  to  increase  the 
ill-feeling  felt  towards  Christians,  it  was  decided 
that  the  demands  of  justice  would  be  met  if 
the  ringleader  or  leaders  in  each  district  were 
executed  or  imprisoned ;  and  the  names  of  the 
remainder  enrolled  in  the  different  yamens,  as  a 
warning  that  if  they  caused  trouble  in  the  future 

^  North  China  Herald,  Shanghai, 


After  the  Massacres  135 

they  would  be  severely  dealt  with.  As  a  matter 
of  fact,  for  the  massacre  of  some  four  thousand 
five  hundred  native  Christians  (Protestant  and 
Roman  Catholic),  only  some  one  hundred  and 
seven   Boxer  leaders  were  executed. 

On  1 8th  July  1901  a  memorial  service  for  the 
martyrs  at  T'ai  Yiian  Fu  was  held,  and  the  fol- 
lowing account,  written  at  the  time,  is  inserted 
in   its  entirety  : — 

"It  is  now  known  that  in  July  1900  forty-six 
foreigners  were  killed  in  T'ai  Yuan  Fu,  including 
several  Protestant  missionaries,  their  wives  and 
children,  two  Roman  Catholic  bishops,  three 
priests,  and  seven  Sisters  of  Charity.  We  must 
not  omit  to  mention  that  many  Chinese  Chris- 
tians perished  at  the  same  time.  The  massacre 
occurred  on  9th  July.  Exactly  a  year  later,  to  the 
very  day,  eight  Protestant  missionaries  entered  the 
city  as  the  guests  and  at  the  invitation  of  the  new 
Governor.  After  complimentary  visits  had  been 
paid  and  returned,  arrangements  were  at  once 
made  for  the  memorial  services,  and  by  the  evening 
of  17th  July  everything  was  ready.  Outside  the 
west  gate  of  the  entrance  to  the  Governor's  yamen, 
and  near  the  place  of  the  massacre,  a  large  pavilion 
stretching  across  the  street  had  been  erected. 
About  fifty  yards  farther  south-west  is  the  yamen 
of  the  Prefect.  The  centre  of  the  inner  court  of 
this  yamen  had  been  covered  with  an  awning, 
under  which  were  arranged  twenty-six  banners, 
about  12  feet  high,  on  which  were  inscribed  in 
gilt  letters  the  names  of  the  Protestant  martyrs, 


136  Fire  and  Sword  in  Shansi 

both  foreign  and  Chinese.  At  the  suggestion  of 
Shen  Taot'ai,  who  had  hved  in  England  for  a 
time,  the  officials  had  also  prepared  a  number  of 
wreaths,  which  were  placed  on  wooden  frames 
covered  with  cloth.  These  were  arranged  in  the 
same  place  as  the  banners. 

"  About  nine  o'clock  on  the  morning  of 
Thursday  i  8th  July  nine  four-bearer  chairs  were 
brought  to  the  door  of  the  house  where  the 
missionaries  were  located.  In  these  they  were 
carried  to  the  yamen  of  the  Prefect.  Accom- 
panying them  in  a  private  capacity  was  Major 
Pereira,  At  the  yamen  they  were  carried  through 
the  court,  where  the  banners  and  wreaths  were 
arranged  in  a  hall  at  the  upper  end,  and  there  they 
were  ceremoniously  received  by  all  the  officials 
of  the  city  except  the  Governor,  who  was 
supposed  to  be  too  ill  to  come  out.  The  court- 
yard was  crowded  with  people,  many  of  whom 
pushed  right  up  to  the  place  where  the  officials 
and  foreigners  were  sitting.  The  final  arrange- 
ments having  been  made,  the  procession  started, 
being  headed  by  one  hundred  foot-soldiers,  who 
marched  in  fairly  good  order  to  the  sound  of 
bugle  and  drum,  having  been  drilled  by  instruc- 
tors trained  by  Germans.  Then  followed  the 
officials  in  their  chairs,  who  were  succeeded  by  the 
memorial  banners  and  wreaths.  The  foreigners 
as  chief  mourners  came  last,  and  the  procession 
was  closed  by  about  thirty  cavalry. 

"  The  first  stop  was  made  at  the  pavilion  near 
the  Governor's  yamen,  as  it  had  been  arranged  to 


After  the  Massacres  137 

hold  a  short  service  as  near  as  possible  to  the 
spot  where  the  massacre  had  occurred.  The 
leader  of  the  service  stood  on  a  small  raised 
platform,  in  front  of  which  stood  the  officials  and 
foreigners.  The  street  was  closely  packed  with 
people,  and  fairly  good  order  was  preserved,  though 
there  were  only  a  few  yamen  servants  to  control 
the  people,  the  soldiers  having  gone  on  ahead  a 
little  way.  The  service  concluded,  the  procession 
re-formed  in  somewhat  different  order,  and  then 
passed  slowly  through  the  streets,  which  in  many 
places  were  thronged  with  onlookers.  The  new 
cemetery  is  more  than  two  miles  from  the  city ; 
and  after  leaving  the  east  gate,  crossing  the  moat 
and  passing  through  a  small  village,  the  road  leads 
through  a  narrow  gully  in  the  '  loess,'  then  along 
a  stony,  dry  river-bed,  and  finally  winds  up  rather 
a  steep  hillside  to  the  hills  east  of  the  city.  It 
took  the  procession  nearly  an  hour  and  a  half  to 
reach  this  spot.  Arrived  there,  the  chief  mourners 
were  first  of  all  met  by  the  hundred  foot-soldiers, 
presenting  arms,  and  the  sound  of  music. 

"  In  front  of  the  gate  of  the  cemetery  a  large 
awning  had  been  erected,  on  one  side  of  which 
were  two  tents  and  on  the  other  three,  awning  and 
tents  being  all  constructed  on  the  chessboard 
patterns,  with  poles  and  variegated  cloths  about 
a  foot  wide.  There  the  mourners  were  met  by 
the  officials,  who  ushered  them  into  the  principal 
tent,  where  more  time  had  to  be  spent  in  par- 
taking of  light  refreshments  and  chatting.  Mean- 
while  the  wreaths   had    been    deposited    on    the 


138  Fire  and  Sword  in  Shansi 

graves,  and  the  memorial  banners  arranged  outside 
the  tents. 

"  A  little  time  was  spent  in  inspecting  the 
graves  and  wreaths,  and  after  awhile  —  with  the 
officials,  mourners,  Chinese  Christians,  and  many 
onlookers  grouped  around — two  specially  selected 
Mandarins  entered  the  pavilion ;  and  one  of  them 
read  an  address  which  had  been  prepared  by  the 
Governor  himself,  and  which  was  supposed  to  be 
an  apology.  The  other  officials  then  bowed  three 
times  towards  the  graves,  after  which  one  of  the 
missionaries,  in  the  name  of  the  others,  thanked 
the  officials  for  coming.  Finally,  the  address 
itself  was  handed  over  by  Shen  Taot'ai,  to  be  kept 
as  a  permanent  record.  This  finished  the  cere- 
monies so  far  as  officialdom  was  concerned,  rmd 
the  Mandarins  withdrew.  Representatives  of  the 
gentry  came  forward  and  paid  their  respects  to 
the  mourners  by  making  a  low  bow,  after  which 
the  Chinese  Christians  gathered  around  the  pavilion, 
and  a  short  service  was  held,  which  was  conducted 
by  Mr.  Hoste  of  the  C.I.M. 

"  It  was  a  beautiful  day,  and  as  from  the  pavilion 
one  looked  over  the  thirty-four  new  graves  to  the 
city  and  plain  beyond  and  the  high  mountains  to 
the  west,  all  so  peaceful,  it  was  hard,  nay  almost 
impossible,  to  realise  what  actually  happened  only 
a  year  and  ten  days  before.  Outwardly  a  great 
difference  between  now  and  then,  and  yet  one 
instinctively  felt  the  difference  to  be  only  super- 
ficial. It  is  true  that  representatives  of  the  gentry 
were  at  the  cemetery,  but  neither  they  nor  any  of 


After  the  Massacres  139 

the  merchants'  guilds  gave  any  tangible  token 
even  of  respect,  such  as  was  done  in  Pao  Ting  Fu 
(where  many  memorial  tablets  and  scrolls  were 
given) ;  although  six  of  these  guilds  combined  to 
erect  a  memorial  tablet  extolling  the  monster  Yu 
Hsien.  The  people  appeared  to  be  sullen  rather 
than  repentant. 

"  After  returning  to  the  city  the  missionaries  and 
Major  Pereira  had  an  interview  with  the  Governor, 
who  had  been  reported  to  be  too  ill  to  receive  them 
earlier.  As  they  entered  the  yamen  soldiers  were 
drawn  up  at  each  gate,  and  at  the  entrance  to  the 
outer  hall  they  were  received  by  two  junior 
officers  in  full  dress.  By  them  they  were  con- 
ducted to  an  inner  court,  at  the  door  of  which  they 
were  met  by  the  Governor,  by  whom  they  were 
ushered  into  a  room  down  the  centre  of  which 
was  a  long  table,  daintily  arranged  in  foreign 
fashion,  with  white  tablecloth,  flowers,  cakes, 
sweetmeats,  etc.  Shen  Taot'ai  was  also  present, 
and  introduced  the  guests  one  by  one,  and 
then  arranged  them  at  the  table.  The  con- 
versation turned  upon  general  subjects  ;  but  twice 
the  Governor  referred  to  the  events  of  last  year, 
for  which  he  apologised  and  expressed  great 
regret. 

"  After  partaking  of  aerated  waters  and  light 
refreshments  and  chatting  awhile,  the  guests  with- 
drew, excusing  themselves  because  of  their  host's 
supposed  convalescent  condition.  The  Governor 
escorted  them  to  the  door  of  the  courtyard,  and 
the  other  two  officials    with    Shen  Taot'ai    went 


140  Fire  and  Sword  in  Shansi 

with  them  to  the  front  of  the  great  hall,  where 
their  carts  were  waiting  for  them. 

"  While  all  these  demonstrations  of  regret  for 
the  past  are  so  far  satisfactory,  it  must  be  remem- 
bered that  little  or  nothing  was  done  until  after 
the  Germans  took  the  passes  leading  to  Shansi. 
It  is  true  that  in  December  last  orders  were  given 
to  collect  the  remains  of  those  who  were  massacred  ; 
but,  remembering  that  they  had  been  exposed  to 
the  ravages  of  wolves  and  dogs  for  five  months,  it 
is  little  to  be  wondered  at  that  but  few  were 
found.  All  that  was  done  subsequently  was 
practically  due  to  the  initiative  of  the  expectant 
Taot'ai,  Shen  Tun  Ho,  who  has  on  several 
previous  occasions  shown  his  friendliness  to 
foreigners,  and  for  which  he  was  a  few  years  ago 
banished  to  Kalgan.  But  for  his  presence  and 
influence,  Protestant  missionaries  would  probably 
not  be  there  at  present.  As  an  indication  of  the 
influence  on  the  other  side,  it  may  be  mentioned 
that  the  official  Peh — who  was  the  Hsien  (Sub- 
Prefect)  in  T'ai  Yiian  Fu  last  year  at  the  time  of 
the  massacres,  and  who  almost  '  outheroded ' 
Herod — was  promoted  to  be  the  official  at  Ping 
Ting  Chou,  and  was  there  on  24th  April  1901,  the 
day  the  Germans  arrived  at  the  Ku  Kwan  Pass. 
It  was  no  wonder  that  his  guilty  conscience  made 
him  flee,  no  one  knows  where  ;  for  when  Mr.  Pigott 
and  party  were  brought  before  him  on  8th  July 
(Mr.  Pigott  and  Mr.  Robinson  being  handcuffed), 
he  first  made  them  wait  at  the  front  gate  of  his 
yamen  for  a  long  time  surrounded  by  a  great  crowd 


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After  the  Massacres  141 

— then  when  they  were  brought  before  him  he 
ordered  the  two  men  to  have  chains  put  round 
their  necks,  and  all  to  kneel  before  him  like 
common  criminals  !  Finally,  though  he  probably 
knew  what  was  to  happen  next  day,  he  separated 
the  party,  not  even  allowing  husband,  wife,  and 
child  to  be  together,  and  put  them  all  in  the 
common  prison.  These  were  all  British  subjects ; 
and  yet  the  representatives  of  England  in  China 
allowed  this  man  to  be  promoted,  and  to  remain 
in  office  until  forced  to  flee  by  fear  of  the 
Germans. 

"  Again,  the  magistrate  of  Shou  Yang  Hsien, 
whose  name  was  on  the  black  list  published  in  the 
decree  of  21st  February,  was  still  in  office  on  5  th 
July,  and  received  the  missionaries  as  they  passed 
through.  It  is  most  difficult  to  reconcile  this 
action  with  the  protestations  of  regret ;  and  it  is  to 
be  hoped  that  as  time  goes  on  further  evidence 
will  be  forthcoming  to  show  that  their  expressions 
of  regret  are  sincere,  and  not  merely  the  result  of 
fear  or  expediency." 

The  following  is  a  translation  of  the  Governor's 
address  which  was  read  at  the  funeral  : — 

(The  whole  composition  is  constructed  according 
to  the  canons  laid  down  for  funeral  panegyrics.  It 
is  replete  with  recondite  allusions,  and  of  course 
was  absolutely  unintelligible  to  those  who  heard 
it  read.  The  sacrificial  offerings  so  frequently 
mentioned  were  not  actually  presented,  as  such  a 
course  would   be    repugnant   to    Christian    ideas. 


142  Fire  and  Sword  in  Shansi 

But  the  writer  of  the  elegy  did  not  know  how  to 
make  any  but  a  heathen  ode,  and  so  they  went 
in  as  on  other  occasions.  Most  of  the  character- 
istic Chinese  notions  about  the  dead  are  well 
illustrated.  As  the  first  thing  of  the  kind  at  a 
Christian  burial,  it  is  well  worth  studying.) 

"  H.  E.  Ts'en  Ch'un  Hsuan,  Governor  of  Shansi, 
on  the  third  day  of  the  sixth  moon  of  this  year 
respectfully  deputed  Pan  Li  Yen,  an  expectant 
district  magistrate  of  the  Bureau  of  Foreign 
Affairs,  to  go  and  make  libations  and  offerings 
of  food  to  the  souls  of  Protestant  missionaries, 
upon  which  occasion  he  read  the  following  com- 
position : 

"  The  cord  which  bound  their  souls  was 
extraordinarily  auspicious  ;  they  were  born  flourish- 
ing from  stars  in  the  centre  of  the  universe. 
Their  favour  was  scattered  over  the  north  of 
China.  Their  earthly  birthplace  was  famous  to 
the  eastward  of  the  Isles  of  the  Blest,  and  on  the 
north.  They  came  over  the  peaceful  sea;  they 
were  truly  well  versed  in  literature,  the  ^lite  of 
three  Kingdoms.  They  came  to  save  Shansi,  and 
their  aid  was  more  than  the  traditional  story  of 
the  Dragon  Pond  (Peking)  and  the  Deer  Park  (a 
famous  resort  of  Buddha).  Though  from  remote 
countries,  whose  speech  requires  repeated  inter- 
pretations, they  come,  yea,  from  beyond  the 
western  night,  and  the  land  without  any  thunder 
they  hastened  to  save.  Their  religion  was  first 
received  into  China  by  the  Emperor  Cheng  Kuan 
of  the  Tang  dynasty  (627   A.D.),  who  built  and 


After  the  Massacres  143 

adorned  churches  for  the  Great  Pure  Sect  of 
Christians,  and  opened  nine  ports  for  commerce. 
He  spread  abroad  the  praises  of  the  seven  days 
(Sabbath),  and  on  account  of  their  merits  he 
bestowed  Imperial  commendations  upon  them,  as 
may  be  seen  in  the  archives  of  the  Hung  Lu  Ssu, 
Peking  (a  department  in  the  Tang  dynasty  charged 
with  the  ceremonial  of  receiving  ambassadors  from 
foreign  countries).  The  ancient  prohibitions  are 
removed.  It  was  as  if  the  native  of  Shantung 
(Confucius)  went  to  Szechuan  along  with  his 
disciples,  or  as  if  the  native  of  Ching  Kuo  roamed 
to  Chin  Kuo,  taking  his  wife  and  children.  They 
resided  perseveringly  in  the  dark  coasts  of  Shansi, 
and  straightway  opened  refined  homes,  which 
surpassed  those  of  Tang  and  Wei,  and  also  large 
hospitals.  When  crops  failed  and  floods  swept  all 
before  them,  they  collected  money  from  afar  and 
freely  distributed  it  to  the  distressed.  The  rude 
people  of  the  north  pleaded  for  life,  and  the 
missionaries  bounteously  renovated  them.  Just 
as  China  in  all  ages  reverences  Ho  Yiian,  and  the 
Kingdoms  of  Chao  and  Wei  submitted  to  the 
learning  of  Ko  Yen,  almost  like  Lan  Ling  who 
resided  at  Ching  Kiang,  fishing  and  sauntering 
about,  or  Feng  She  who  moved  to  Li  Yang 
(Shensi)  and  felt  as  much  at  ease  as  if  he  were 
in  his  own  home,  the  missionaries  travelled  over 
the  four  seas  and  formed  social  connections  with 
our  people,  so  that  China  and  foreign  lands  were 
as  one  family. 

"  Put  suddenly  occurred  the  unlucky  affair  at 


144  F'''^  ^^^  Sword  in  Shansi 

Peking,  which  involved  all  of  Chihli  in  a  common 
ruin,  and  the  Boxers  arose,  brandishing  swords 
and  pikes,  as  uncanny  as  Shih  Ping  with  his 
enchanted  water  and  written  charms ;  or  like 
Chang  Chiao,  who  began  the  White  Lily  Society ; 
or  Tao  Fu  with  his  water  fairy  plan ;  or  Len  Yen, 
who  believed  in  the  Rice  Thief  God,  seeking 
glory  with  lawless  pride,  slaying  the  Khitans 
(foreigners)  and  yet  calling  themselves  *  Righteous  ' ; 
like  Kuang  Sheng,  who  slew  Tung  Fu  that  he 
might  possess  his  wealth ;  or  worse  than  Chin 
Shih  Huang,  who  buried  the  scholars  alive  and 
destroyed  all  the  pagodas  and  temples  in  Wei. 
They  careered  through  Shansi,  delighting  in 
slaughter,  not  sparing  the  women.  In  defiance 
ot  Heaven  and  Earth,  even  the  children  were 
all  exterminated.  On  the  banks  of  the  rivers 
we  condole  for  them.  Alas !  their  bones  are 
borne  upon  the  rushing  waves.  When  we  try 
to  call  back  their  spirits,  woe  is  me,  for  they 
are  flying  like  Will-o'-the-wisps  in  the  vast  deserts 
of  sand.  The  rustics  of  the  villages  wonder  at 
the  strange  cry  of  the  (bewitching)  fox.  Chui 
Mai  took  on  himself  the  cap  of  the  majestic 
tiger,  and  for  months  did  not  dispel  the  distress 
of  the  yellow  aspen.  From  the  north  on  the 
Yellow  River's  bank  to  the  Fen  River,  meander- 
ing in  the  south,  all  were  drawn  into  the  calamity 
of  the  Red  Turbans  (the  Boxers) ;  the  heavenly 
crane  comes  back ;  the  city  falls  under  the 
baleful  influence  of  the  star  Yuan  Hsiao  (in 
Aquarius).      Insects    as    numerous   as    the    sands 


After  the  Massacres  145 

distress  the  dying.  Their  numbers  are  greater 
than  in  Sin  Ma  Chien's  history,  the  brave  have 
beat  upon  their  bosoms  for  grief,  the  courageous 
split  their  eyes  for  weeping.  This  Boxer  craze 
was  indeed  the  deadliest  poison  of  the  human 
race,  which  brought  ten  thousand  woes  upon  us. 

"  The  people  of  the  villages  were  able  in  some 
cases  to  gather  together  and  oppose  the  Red 
Turban  rebels  (Boxers).  Those  who  dwell  in 
mountain  temples  by  their  bravery  escaped  the 
edge  of  the  sword. 

"  The  souls  of  the  departed  missionaries  pre- 
served their  bodies  in  righteousness,  they  regarded 
death  as  but  a  return.  Sharp  weapons  and  pure 
gold  they  alike  put  far  from  them.  Although 
swords  were  as  thick  as  the  trees  of  the  forest, 
yet  they  thought  death  to  be  as  sweet  as 
delicious  viands.  This  was  because  their  know- 
ledge transcended  that  of  the  multitude,  for  their 
hearts  were  illuminated  by  a  candle  as  bright 
as  the  sun,  their  pure  breasts  were  early  fixed 
in  purpose,  flowing  down  like  a  boat  set  loose 
upon  a  stream,  which  finally  reached  the  other 
shore.  They  lived  not  in  vain.  Truly,  their 
sincerity  was  as  reliable  as  the  sun  in  the 
heavens,  and  their  loyalty  as  sure  as  the  ever- 
lasting hills  and  rivers. 

"  Now  the  clouds  and  mists  have  cleared  away, 
and  the  baleful  influences  are  happily  dissipated. 
The  Emperor  who  dwells  in  Heaven  (Peking) 
had  issued  a  decree  ordering  an  erection  of 
a  memorial  stone  to  clear  their  memories  from 
10 


146  Fire  and  Sword  in  Shansi 

blame.  The  people  are  most  penitent,  and  come 
together  to  hear  this  elegy  upon  the  deceased 
missionaries  with  one  consent. 

"  Those  who  secretly  laid  in  wait  for  them 
with  axes  and  mallets  are  truly  sinners.  But 
the  unceasing  filial  piety  of  the  missionaries, 
how  excellent !  purifying  the  evil  morals  of  our 
people.  We  have  come  with  rich  delicacies  and 
spread  them  out  in  order  as  a  sumptuous  banquet. 
Our  grain  is  good,  our  rice  shining,  set  out  on 
red  cloths.  The  officials  have  come  in  their 
official  trappings  which  tinkle  as  they  move,  in 
caps  and  robes  befitting  the  solemn  occasion. 
With  united  voice  they  join  in  the  ceremony. 
The  drums  and  bells  resound  upon  the  dais, 
decorated  profusely  with  red  hangings.  Although 
the  missionaries  met  the  spear's  point,  it  was  only 
a  moment  and  all  was  over;  but  their  souls 
(and  fame)  will  last  a  thousand  autumns.  Many 
scrolls  in  their  praise  are  hung  up,  and  many 
funeral  banners.  We  are  all  assembled  at  their 
graves,  and  the  tear  -  drops  fall  fast.  Our 
common  carts  and  white  horses  which  we  use 
in  sign  of  mourning  have  come  together  like 
the  wind  which  accompanies  the  rain.  We  read 
this  eulogy  upon  the  deceased  to  celebrate  their 
illustrious  virtue.  With  the  utmost  sincerity  we 
make  our  offering  of  sacrificial  grain,  so  that 
their  souls  may  understand  we  honour  them, 
and  hence  protect  the  living  from  ruin.  Deign 
to  accept  this  my  offering  ! "  ^ 

^  Celestial  Empire,  Shanghai. 


Memokiai,  Service,  T'ai  Yuan  Fu. 


Procession  Lcavintr  the   Prefect's  Yamen. 


J,.-.  _---Sial!t'y'*^ 


Procession  passing  through  the  Streets. 


After  the  Massacres  147 

On  29th  July  a  memorial  service  was  held 
at  Hsin  Chou,  Mr.  Moir  Duncan,  Dr.  Creasy 
Smith,  and  myself  being  present.  The  following 
account  was  written  immediately  after : — 

"  The  Mission  house  formerly  occupied  by  Mr. 
Dixon,  and  subsequently  by  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
M'Currach,  had  been  prepared  for  our  accommo- 
dation. This  house  had  not  been  looted  except 
by  the  landlord,  who  had  evidently  carried  off  all 
the  little  knick-knacks,  and  the  sitting-room  was 
probably  in  much  the  same  condition  as  it  was 
left  by  the  missionaries  when  they  fled  for  their 
lives  on  29th  June  of  last  year.  It  can  be 
imagined  how  vividly  the  whole  scene  came 
before  us  as  we  explored  the  different  rooms 
and  thought  of  the  account  of  the  flight  as 
given  in  the  last  letters  of  the  martyrs ;  and 
it  was  with  heavy  hearts  that  we  took  up  our 
temporary  abode  in  their  vacated  dwelling. 

"  Though  all  the  officials  and  representatives 
of  the  gentry  had  met  us  on  arrival  outside 
the  city,  the  head  magistrate  and  another  called 
on  us  later  in  the  afternoon,  and  with  them  we 
went  to  see  the  newly-made  cemetery,  containing 
the  graves  of  the  victims.  We  found  a  good 
site  had  been  selected  for  it  on  very  high  ground 
at  the  south-west  corner  of  the  city,  close  to  what 
is  called  the  Altar  of  Heaven.  Standing  by  the 
graves,  one  had  a  splendid  view  to  the  south  of 
part  of  the  plain,  while  in  a  cleft  of  the  rugged 
mountains  to  the  east  could  be  clearly  seen 
the    white     houses     of    the     temple,    where     the 


148  Fire  and  Sword  in  Shansi 

missionaries  occasionally  went  during  the  hot 
months  of  the  summer.  To  the  north-east  lay 
the  city,  the  walls  of  which  followed  the  hill- 
side as  it  sloped  down,  from  the  high  ground 
on  which  we  stood,  towards  the  river.  The 
graves  had  been  arranged  in  one  line,  and  as 
we  stood  and  looked  at  them  a  lump  would 
come  into  our  throats.  How  strange  and  in- 
scrutable it  all  appeared  1  Two  of  those  lying 
there,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Dixon,  were  cut  off  in  the 
prime  of  life ;  while  the  others,  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
M'Currach,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Underwood,  Miss 
Renaut,  and  Mr.  Ennals,  were  only  just  begin- 
ning their  life's  work,  and  had  every  prospect 
of  a  useful  future  before  them.  '  His  ways 
are  not  our  ways,  neither  are  His  thoughts  our 
thoughts.' 

"A  little  after  9  a.m.  on  29th  July  we  left 
the  house  where  we  were  staying,  in  sedan  chairs, 
and  went  first  to  the  magistrate's  official  residence 
(yamen),  where  memorial  banners  and  wreaths, 
such  as  those  which  were  described  in  connection 
with  the  T'ai  Yiian  services,  had  been  prepared. 
Of  the  banners  there  were  five — one  each  for  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Dixon,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  M'Currach,  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Underwood,  Miss  Renaut,  and  Mr. 
Ennals  ;  but  of  the  wreaths  there  were  eight — one 
for  each  grave.  Having  been  received  by  the 
magistrate  and  other  officials,  and  final  arrange- 
ments having  been  made  as  to  the  order  of  pro- 
cession, we  left  for  the  east  gate,  the  scene  of  the 
massacre. 


After  the  Massacres  149 

"  The  enclosure  between  the  inner  and  outer 
gates  is  very  small,  so  that  the  actual  spot  where 
the  cowardly  and  brutal  deed  was  committed  is 
known.  Here  a  pavilion  was  erected,  in  which 
were  a  platform  and  table.  Arrived  there  we 
waited  till  the  officials  and  representatives  of  the 
gentry  had  come,  and  then  a  short  service,  consist- 
ing of  the  reading  of  Scripture,  an  address,  and 
prayer,  all  of  which  had  been  prepared  by  Mr. 
Duncan.  After  this  the  procession  was  re-formed, 
but  being  at  the  rear  we  could  not  see  the  exact 
order.  The  officials  in  their  chairs  probably  went 
first,  preceded  by  the  usual  rag-tag  and  bob-tail 
which  always  accompanies  a  Mandarin.  Then 
came  forty  or  fifty  horse  -  soldiers,  followed  by 
about  one  hundred  infantry,  marching  to  the 
sound  of  bugle  and  drum.  Just  in  front  of  our 
chairs  the  Christians  walked  two  -  deep,  all  in 
mourning  costume,  and  behind  us  came  the 
memorial  banners  and  wreaths.  Of  course  such 
an  unusual  procession  created  great  interest  and 
curiosity,  and  the  streets  were  thronged. 

"  Though  the  town  is  not  large,  it  took  a  long 
time  for  the  procession  to  reach  the  south  gate, 
but,  that  point  passed,  the  cemetery  was  soon 
reached.  There  we  found  a  great  crowd 
assembled ;  but  no  one  was  allowed  inside  the 
enclosure  except  the  mourners,  and  the  servants 
accompanying  the  officials.  The  banners  and 
wreaths  were  first  arranged  by  the  side  of  the  tent 
covering  the  graves.  Then  when  we  had  all 
assembled  in  this  tent,  with  the  officials  ranged 


150  Fire  and  Sword  in  Shansi 

on  one  side  and  we  and  the  Chinese  Christians 
on  the  other,  a  specially  appointed  Mandarin  read 
an  address  which  had  been  prepared  by  the  chief 
magistrate.  After  this  we  had  a  short  Christian 
service,  to  which  all  the  officials  courteously 
remained.  This  finished,  we  adjourned  with 
these  officials  to  a  side  tent  to  drink  tea  and  rest 
awhile.  Thus  the  sad  memorial  service  was  over. 
The  cemetery  is  yet  to  be  finished,  and  crosses  are 
to  be  erected  over  the  graves.  But  we  pray  that 
there  may  be  more  lasting  monuments  to  their 
memory  in  the  Christian  lives  of  not  a  few  of  the 
people  of  Hsin  Chou." 

For  the  martyrs  of  the  American  Board  Mission 
a  memorial  service  was  held  at  T'ai  Ku  Hsien  on 
9th  August,  attended  by  Dr.  Atwood,  Mr.  Moir 
Duncan,  Dr.  Creasy  Smith,  Mr.  Hoste,  Mr. 
Ernest  Taylor,  Major  Pereira,  and  myself.  The 
details  were  much  the  same  as  those  already 
described  in  connection  with  the  T'ai  Yiian  Fu 
and  Hsin  Chou  services. 

On  the  afternoon  of  the  same  day  Messrs. 
Duncan,  Smith,  and  Pereira  left  for  Hsi  An  Fu  in 
Shensi,  to  distribute  famine  relief  and  succour  the 
surviving  Christians;  and  on  Saturday  the  loth 
Mr.  Hoste  and  the  other  members  of  the  China 
Inland  Mission  left  for  the  south  of  the  province, 
to  visit  the  stations  of  that  Mission  and  hold 
memorial  services  for  the  martyrs. 

The  second  party  of  missionaries  to  reach  the 
province  after  the  massacres  arrived  at  the  capital 


After  the  Massacres 


151 


on  1 8th  September,  and  with  myself  were  invited 
to  dine  with  the  officials  on  the  following  Satur- 
day ;  but,  when  it  was  discovered  that  that  was  a 
day  of  mourning  for  some  ancient  Emperor,  the 
dinner  had  to  be  postponed  to  Sunday — the  only 
available  day,  as  the  party  had  already  arranged 
to  leave  again  on  Monday.  Directly  after  the 
morning  Chinese  service  we  repaired  to  the  club- 
house where  the  feast  was  to  be  held,  and  there 
found  the  Fant'ai  (Treasurer),  the  old  and  new 
Nieht'ai  (Provincial  Judge),  the  Taot'ai  (Intendant 
of  Circuit),  the  Chihhsien  (Sub-Prefect),  and  also 
Shen  Taot'ai  and  another  official  from  the  Bureau 
of  Foreign  Affairs,  awaiting  us.  The  Fut'ai 
(Governor)  was  not  there,  as  the  new  Nieht'ai  was 
supposed  to  take  his  place.  Very  little  tim.e  was 
spent  over  the  preliminary  formalities  and  tea- 
drinking,  and  we  soon  sat  down  to  the  serious 
business  of  the  occasion — the  feast !  When  at  the 
conclusion  we  left,  we  were  most  ceremoniously 
escorted  by  all  the  officials  to  the  main  entrance 
(though  asked  again  and  again  to  "  liu  pu  " — not 
to  trouble  themselves  to  come  out),  where  they 
remained  standing  till  we  had  mounted  our  carts 
and  driven  off.  Such  expressions  of  friendliness 
on  the  part  of  the  "  powers  that  be  "  were  at  that 
time  of  great  importance,  as  the  news  rapidly 
spread  through  the  city. 

The  following  day  the  new  arrivals  left,  Messrs. 
Belcher  and  Middleton  going  northwards  to  hold 
memorial  services  at  stations  north  of  the  Great 
Wall,  while  Messrs.   Judd,  Ambler,  and  Soeder- 


152  Fire  and  Sword  in  Shansi 

Strom  went  southwards  to  reoccupy  vacant 
stations. 

Mr.  Soederstrom  after  a  short  time  pushed 
onwards  through  Shensi  to  Kansuh,  in  the  far 
north-west ;  and  while  alone,  so  far  as  European 
companionship  was  concerned,  was  struck  down 
by  typhus  fever,  and  died  before  any  help  could 
reach  him. 

While  memorial  services  were  held  for  the 
martyred  missionaries,  the  following  account  of  a 
memorial  service  held  at  Shou  Yang  will  show 
that  the  native  Christians  who  suffered  so  nobly 
were  not  forgotten : — 

"  Shou  Yang,  29th  November. — The  funeral 
services  for  the  Chinese  Christians  were  carried  out 
to-day,  and  I  think  on  the  whole  satisfactorily. 
Memorial  banners  and  scrolls  had  been  prepared 
by  the  heads  of  the  different  villages  where  the 
massacres  had  taken  place,  and  these  had  all  been 
arranged  in  the  court  of  the  yamen,  where  a 
pavilion  had  been  erected.  When  everything 
was  ready  a  messenger  came  to  invite  us,  and  we 
three  missionaries  proceeded  to  the  yamen  in 
the  sedan  chairs  provided  for  us,  preceded  by 
some  of  the  local  '  braves '  and  four  of  the  Shansi 
'  police.' 

"  Arrived  at  the  yamen,  we  were  received  by 
the  officials  in  the  special  pavilion.  The  proces- 
sion was  then  formed,  and  proceeded  on  its  round. 
First  came  the  thirty  -  seven  memorial  scrolls, 
representing  the  seventy-two  Christians  who  had 
been  massacred.      After  each  scroll,  which  was  of 


Martyrs' Cemhterv,  T'ai   \  i  a\   Ff. 


View  of  Cemetery  from  adjacent  hill. 


«■»'. 


jf|%^-^  ^"^l 


'^c^^**" 


After  the  Massacres  153 

silk  and  1 2  feet  high,  came  a  silk  banner  on 
which  was  a  Christian  motto  in  gold  letters, 
followed  by  the  band  (!)  of  the  village  from  which 
the  memorials  came.  Soldiers  with  banners  and 
the  police  came  next,  and  these  were  followed  by 
the  missionaries  in  chairs,  the  Chinese  Christians 
— women  and  girls  in  carts  and  men  on  foot — 
closing  the  line. 

"  Leaving  the  city  by  the  south  gate,  the 
procession  made  a  circuit  of  the  city  and  suburbs, 
and  then  went  to  the  spot  at  the  south-west 
corner,  where  twenty-one  Christians — men,  women, 
and  children — laid  down  their  lives  for  Christ. 
Their  remains  had  been  carelessly  buried  where 
they  fell,  and  were  exposed  to  the  ravages  of 
wolves  and  dogs  for  sixteen  months.  Not  until 
the  Governor  sent  special  word  to  have  them 
interred  was  anything  done  in  the  way  of  burying 
them  properly. 

"  A  tent  for  the  reception  of  the  missionaries, 
and  a  pavilion  with  a  raised  platform  for  the 
service,  were  erected  near  the  site  of  the  massacre. 
The  city  wall  and  a  sloping  bank  behind  it  were 
thronged  with  people,  as  it  was  a  market  day ; 
and  here,  in  the  presence  of  the  local  officials  and 
a  crowd  numbering  quite  two  thousand  to  three 
thousand  people,  a  Christian  memorial  service  was 
held  for  the  martyrs  of  last  year. 

"  After  the  service,  the  magistrates  accompanied 
us  to  the  Mission  premises  and  formally  handed 
over  the  repaired  buildings,  with  the  few  posses- 
sions of  the  missionaries  which  had  been  recovered. 


154  Fi^e  and  Sword  in  Shansi 

"  It  was  a  sad  and  trying  duty,  but  at  the 
same  time  a  great  privilege,  to  be  able  to  bear 
public  testimony  to  the  cause  of  Christ,  and  pay 
a  tribute  to  the  memory  of  those  who  had  so 
nobly  suffered  for  Him." 


THE    INDEMNITY 

When  the  first  party  of  Protestant  missionaries 
entered  the  province  of  Shansi  after  the  massacres, 
the  troops  of  the  Allies  still  occupied  the  adjoin- 
ing province  of  Chihli ;  and  there  is  no  doubt  but 
that  both  officials  and  people  were  in  fear  and 
trepidation  as  to  what  the  demands  would  be  for 
reparation  for  the  one  hundred  and  fifty-nine 
foreigners  massacred ;  for  it  was  well  known  that 
in  the  province  of  Shantung,  for  the  murder  of 
two  Roman  Catholic  German  missionaries  a  few 
years  previously,  the  Germans  had  occupied  the 
important  port  of  Kiao  Chou,  and  demanded 
mining,  railway,  and  other  rights. 

As  soon  as  it  became  known  that  two  of  the 
Protestant  societies  waived  all  claims  for  Mission 
property  destroyed,  and  that  the  demands  of  the 
others  were  not  only  just  but  very  moderate, 
there  was  a  distinct  feeling  of  relief — it  cannot  be 
said,  gratitude — on  the  part  both  of  officials  and 
people.  The  Governor  officially  acknowledged, 
by  proclamation  issued  through  the  Foreign 
Bureau,  that  the  Missions  thus  waiving  their 
claims  were  not  actuated  by  unworthy  motives. 
That   issued    for   the   China    Inland    Mission    has 


After  the  Massacres  155 

been  already  published ;  and  the  following  is  a 
translation  of  the  one  posted  in  T'ai  Yuan  Fu 
on  behalf  of  what  was  known  as  the  Shou  Yang 
Mission : — 

"  I.  Dr.  Edwards,  sympathising  with  the  words 
of  the  Saviour  of  the  world,  '  Love  your  neigh- 
bour as  yourself,'  remembers  that  Shansi  has 
often  been  striken  by  famine.  Upon  this 
occasion  the  settlement  of  missionary  cases  again 
threatens  to  press  heavily  on  the  merchants  and 
people.  Therefore,  to  secure  the  friendship  of  the 
people,  to  thank  Governor  Ts'en  Ch'un  Hsiian  for 
his  great  courtesy  in  meeting  and  protecting  the 
missionaries,  and  Taot'ai  Shen  Tun  Ho  for  his 
intelligent  management  of  matters,  it  is  agreed  to 
settle  the  cases  (of  this  Mission)  upon  an  unusually 
friendly  basis,  hoping  at  the  same  time  that  the 
missionaries  of  other  Boards  will  follow  so  ex- 
cellent an  example,  and  thus  secure  everlasting 
peace  between  people  and  converts. 

"  2.  Last  year  ten  buildings  belonging  to  this 
Mission  in  T'ai  Yuan  Fu  were  burned  and  all 
their  contents  looted,  viz,  men's  and  women's 
hospitals,  church,  dispensary,  girls'  school,  and 
residence.  The  total  value  reaches  over  one 
hundred  thousand  taels.  No  compensation  is 
asked  for  this  loss. 

"  3.  Among  the  things  looted  was  an  iron  safe 
containing  deeds,  bank  drafts,  and  account  books : 
these  will  be  regarded  as  waste  paper,  and  the 
Governor  will  be  invited  to  send  a  deputy  to 
measure  the  land  according  to  the  old  boundaries. 


156  Fire  and  Sword  in  Shansi 

and  new  deeds  bearing  the  official  seal  will  be 
given  Dr.  Edwards. 

"  4.  Dr.  Edwards  thanks  the  Governor  for 
having  sent  men  to  remove  the  coal,  lime,  etc., 
which  had  been  heaped  upon  the  sites  of  the 
Mission  buildings,  and  invites  him  to  issue  a 
proclamation  forever  forbidding  the  people  from 
again  trespassing  on  the  ground. 

"  5.  The  converts  of  this  Mission,  in  addition  to 
the  loss  of  property,  were  scattered  abroad  at  the 
time  of  the  burnings  and  killings.  The  expense 
they  were  then  put  to,  as  well  as  the  loss  incurred 
because  they  were  not  able  to  reap  their  harvest, 
will  not  be  included  in  their  demand  for  com- 
pensation. Hence  there  will  be  many  poor 
people  without  compensation.  But  before  Dr. 
Edwards  came  to  Shansi  his  deacons  borrowed 
eleven  hundred  taels  from  the  Governor,  This 
sum,  through  the  extraordinary  grace  of  the 
Governor,  will  not  be  required  at  their  hands,  in 
proof  that  he  loves  the  people  as  his  own 
children.  Dr.  Edwards  is  entirely  satisfied  with 
this  arrangement.  In  consideration  of  no  com- 
pensation being  asked  for  the  buildings,  etc.,  the 
Governor  is  invited  by  the  officials  of  the  Foreign 
Bureau  to  issue  a  proclamation  stating  that  Dr. 
Edwards'  action  is  not  due  to  a  desire  to  stand 
well  with  the  people,  but  to  his  belief  that  he 
should  obey  the  words  of  the  Saviour  of  the 
world,  viz. '  Love  your  neighbour  as  yourself  ;  and, 
moreover,  he  cannot  bear  to  see  the  people  taxed 
(to  pay  missionary  indemnities).     This  proclama- 


After  the  Massacres 


157 


tion  shall,  in  addition,  state  the  friendly  desire  of 
the  Chinese  Government  to  protect  the  Churches. 
This  proclamation  shall  be  cut  on  a  stone,  to  be 
erected  in  front  of  the  church." 


Three  copies  of  this  agreement  were  signed, 
one  of  which  was  deposited  with  the  Governor, 
another  in  the  local  Bureau  of  Foreign  Affairs, 
while  the  third  is  in  my  possession. 

As  regards  the  compensation  given  to  the 
native  Christians,  the  following  statement  will 
show  at  a  glance  the  amount  granted  by  the 
Governor.  Besides  the  families  of  those  who 
were  killed,  there  were,  of  course,  many  others 
who  had  lost  houses  and  property,  so  that  the 
amount  received  by  each  was  not  large : — 


Number  of 
Adherents  killed. 

Compensation 
granted. 

China  Inland  Mission 
Baptist  Mission 
American  Board 
Shou  Yang  Mission  . 

156 
112 

79 
27 

Taels  73.156' 
,.     35.776 
„     25,000 
»       5.600 

In  addition  to  the  above,  the  Christian 
Herald  of  New  York  started  a  "  Famine  Relief 
Fund "  for  China,  through  which  the  sum  of 
Tls.  26,000  was  sent  to  Shansi  to  be  distributed 
by  the  missionades.  This  increased  the  favour- 
able impression  previously  produced,  and  the 
Governor  again  issued  a  proclamation,  which  was 

^  The  tael  at  that  time  was  equal  in  value  to  about  2s.  6d. 


158  Fire  and  Sword  in  Shansi 

published  all  over  the  province,  and  in  which  he 
said — 

"  Be  it  known  that  last  year  and  the  year 
before  there  was  great  drought  in  this  province, 
causing  much  suffering ;  and  hunger  -  stricken 
people  were  everywhere.  Last  year  the  country 
was  devastated  by  the  Boxer  rebellion,  and  the 
misery  was  beyond  words.  By  the  Imperial 
favour,  relief  was  again  distributed  to  arrest  the 
distress  and  revive  the  land,  like  water  pouring 
into  a  barren  waste.  But  the  suffering  was  wide- 
spread, and  those  to  be  relieved  many,  and  the 
anxiety  was  great  lest  one  should  not  obtain 
relief.  Therefore  the  two  American  Protestant 
missionaries.  Wen  Ah  Teh  and  Yeh  Shou  Chen, 
brought  for  the  two  provinces  of  Shansi  and  Shensi 
money  contributed  in  their  country.  Everywhere 
where  there  had  been  mischief  done  by  the  Boxers 
they  relieved  all  according  to  one  rule — not  dis- 
tinguishing between  Christians  and  non-Christians. 

"  Let  all  understand  that  these  missionaries  are 
willing  and  pleased  thus  to  distribute  relief 
without  any  idea  of  gaining  merit.  All  my 
people  who  are  in  distress  should  with  one  voice 
return  thanks  for  this.  Previously,  in  the  third 
and  fourth  years  of  the  present  reign  there  was  also 
great  calamity  in  this  province,  and  those  wander- 
ing about  homeless  were  beyond  counting.  At 
that  time  the  Protestant  missionary,  Li  Ti  Mo  T'ai 
(Rev,  Timothy  Richard),  preached  in  this  province, 
and  brought  much  money  generously  contributed, 
and   thus    saved    alive    innumerable    people  who 


After  the  Massacres  159 

were  in  distress.  The  people  of  this  province 
should  at  this  time  think  of  that,  for  now  the 
missionaries  Wen  and  Yeh  have  come  to  again 
save  all  who  are  loudly  wailing,  without  distinc- 
tion of  boundaries,  and  the  dawning  of  the  sunshine 
is  the  same  now  as  it  was  then  !  This  is  certainly- 
good  news !  I,  the  Governor,  am  anxious  that 
on  account  of  this  the  people  of  this  province  shall 
think  well  of  the  Church,  and  not  in  the  least  speak 
evil  of  it.  Thus  not  only  will  both  non- Chris- 
tians and  Christians  of  the  province  be  benefited, 
but  also  there  will  be  the  blessing  of  friendliness 
created  between  China  and  foreign  countries. 

"  This  proclamation  is  for  the  information  of 
officials  and  people,  both  civil  and  military.  All 
should  be  perfectly  acquainted  with  it. 

"  Fully  acquaint  yourselves  and  notify  others." 

In  connection  with  the  question  of  indemnity,  it 
should  be  mentioned  that  before  the  Protestant 
missionaries  had  returned  to  the  province,  and  of 
course  without  being  asked  to  do  so,  the  Governor, 
at  the  suggestion  of  Shen  Taot'ai,  allocated  the 
sum  of  Tls.  5000  for  the  repair  of  the  Mission 
premises  at  Shou  Yang  belonging  to  the  late  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Pigott. 

Before  I  left  T'ai  Yiian  Fu  a  movement  was 
set  on  foot  by  the  gentry  to  make  some  acknow- 
ledgment of  the  fact  that  I  had  asked  for  no  com- 
pensation for  the  destruction  of  the  hospital  and 
adjoining  property.  I  declined  both  an  honorary 
umbrella  (Wan  Min   San),  such  as  is  occasionally 


i6o  Fire  and  Sword  in  Shansi 

given  to  an  official  as  a  compliment,  or  a  laudatory 
stone  tablet ;  but  suggested  that  if  the  destruct;ion 
of  the  hospital  was  really  regretted,  the  people  of 
the  city  should  do  something  voluntarily  to  help 
rebuild  it.  The  idea  was  taken  up,  but  the 
scheme  had  first  of  all  to  be  submitted  to  the 
Governor  for  his  approval.  As  it  received  his 
sanction,  subscription  books  were  prepared,  and 
the  first  contributors  were  the  Governor  himself  and 
other  high  officials,  who  between  them  subscribed 
the  sum  of  Tls.  2000.  By  the  time  I  left,  a  few  mer- 
chant guilds  had  contributed  the  sum  of  Tls.  300. 
It  is  hoped  that  the  hospital  may  eventually  be  re- 
built entirely  by  voluntary  gifts  from  the  Chinese. 
With  regard  to  Dr.  Richard's  proposal  that  the 
province  should  pay  the  sum  of  Tls.  500,000,  in 
ten  yearly  instalments,  towards  the  establishment 
of  a  school  of  Western  learning  for  the  Chinese, 
when  this  was  submitted  to  the  Governor  he  very 
strongly  demurred  on  the  ground  of  the  poverty 
of  the  people.  It  was  pointed  out  to  him  that 
the  amount  was  not  large,  and  that  more  money 
than  that  was  spent  every  year  on  theatricals 
alone,  from  which  the  people  derived  no  benefit 
whatever.  Dr.  Richard  wisely  pressed  his  point, 
and  eventually  the  Governor  consented  condition- 
ally, and  deputed  an  official  to  go  to  Shanghai  to 
consult  with  him  on  the  subject.  The  conditions 
laid  down  by  the  Governor  were  the  following : — 
( I )  The  money  contributed  for  the  purpose  should 
on  no  account  be  regarded  as  a  fine  for  the  affairs 
of  1900.     (2)  The  foreign    teachers  should  not 


Memorial  Service,  T'ai  ViA.\  Fu. 


.Vnival  uf  I'loccssion  at  Cemeierv.      Memorial  ISanners  on  ihc  left. 


Service  at  the  Cemetery,  conducted  liy  Mr  D.  E.  Hoste,  C.  I.  M. 


After  the  Massacres  i6l 

be  allowed  to  "  promulgate  the  doctrine "  in  the 
colleges.  (3)  No  chapel  should  be  connected  with 
the  schools.  (4)  The  foreign  teachers  should  have 
nothing  whatever  to  do  with  the  internal  arrange- 
ments of  the  colleges  or  schools.  Dr.  Richard 
could,  of  course,  have  nothing  to  do  with  the 
scheme  on  these  conditions ;  but,  after  further 
communications  had  passed  between  him  and  the 
Governor,  the  latter  consented  to  grant  the  sum 
required,  and  hand  over  the  management  of  the 
college  to  Dr.  Richard  unconditionally  for  ten 
years,  after  which  it  was  to  revert  to  the  Chinese 
authorities. 

The  final  arrangements  made  are  best  given  in 
Dr.  Richard's  own  words,  in  a  communication  sent 
to  the  Shanghai  North  China  Herald, 


"THE    SHANSI    UNIVERSITY    FROM    WITHIN 

"  In  the  autumn  of  last  year  an  agreement  was 
entered  into  with  the  Governor  of  Shansi  where- 
by I  should  have  the  sole  control  of  the  sum  of 
Tls.  50,000  annually  for  ten  years.  Then  it  was 
that  I  invited  six  professors  from  Europe  and 
America  to  teach  in  it  and  translate  for  it,  with 
the  Rev.  Moir  Duncan,  MA.,  as  Principal.  On 
3rd  April  we  started  for  Shansi  with  some  of 
these  and  six  native  professors  of  Western 
learning.  Meanwhile  the  Governor  of  Shansi 
had  been  told  by  ignorant  and  prejudiced  men 
that  our  institution  was  only  to  be  a  proselytising 
one,  to  destroy  Confucianism    and    to  force   the 


1 62  Fire  and  Sword  in  Shansi 

students  of  Shansi  to  become  Christians,  give  up 
the  most  sacred  customs  of  China,  and  learn 
the  evil  ways  of  the  West.  He  therefore  was 
perplexed ;  some  advised  him  to  open  up  a  rival 
one  on  Confucian  bases. 

"  It  took  forty  days  of  conference  to  remove 
this  suspicion.  At  the  very  first  interview  with 
the  Governor  we  strongly  deprecated  having  two 
rival  institutions,  as  it  would  be  a  great  waste  of 
money,  and  it  would  also  perpetuate  the  strife 
which  our  new  institution  was  intended  to  end. 
Why  not  rather  amalgamate  the  two  under  one 
general  name  of  Shansi  University,  and  let  one 
devote  itself  entirely  to  the  study  of  Chinese 
learning  (for  Chinese  education  is  rather  backward 
in  Shansi),  and  the  other  devote  itself  entirely  to 
Western  learning?  This  the  enlightened  Taot'ai, 
Shen  Tun  Ho,  at  once  supported,  suggesting  a 
name  for  each,  which  was  subsequently  adopted. 
The  Governor  seemed  inclined  to  the  same  view, 
provided  he  would  have  a  share  in  the  control. 
This  was  arranged  afterwards  to  the  entire  satis- 
faction of  both  parties. 

"  The  next  point  of  interest  is  a  radical  departure 
in  the  course  of  study.  It  has  been  the  rule 
almost  universally  in  China  to  have  half  the  day 
devoted  to  Chinese  studies  and  the  other  half 
to  Western  studies.  But  I  pointed  out  to  the 
Governor  that  the  times  were  serious,  and  China 
might  have  trouble  with  foreigners  soon  again. 
If  they  did  not  prepare  men  quickly,  they  were 
exposing  themselves  to  great  perils.     I  therefore 


After  the  Massacres  163 

proposed  that  none  should  be  admitted  to  the 
Western  Department  who  had  not  the  Siutsai 
(Chinese  B.A.)  degree,  and  finished  their  course 
in  Chinese  learning.  In  this  way  at  the  end  of 
six  years  they  would  have  better  men  turned  out 
than  those  who  had  spent  twelve  years  according 
to  the  old  system.  This  he  was  a  little  afraid 
of  at  first,  but  finally  acquiesced  in  most  heartily. 

"  The  question  of  religious  liberty,  which  is  now 
occupying  much  of  the  attention  of  all  engaged 
in  Christian  Missions,  also  came  up.  We  arrived 
at  the  conclusion,  after  a  very  long  day's  con- 
ference, that  the  framers  of  Regulations  for  the 
conduct  of  any  university  had  no  power  to 
abrogate  solemn  treaties  made  with  foreign 
Powers  forty  years  ago.  It  was  a  matter  for 
Peking,  and  not  for  the  provincial  authorities,  to 
decide  on.  Consequently  this  matter  was  left ; 
we  rely  on  the  toleration  which  the  treaties 
secured.  I  find  intelligent  Chinamen  most 
reasonable  on  this  point.  The  Grand  Viceroy 
Tso  told  me,  *  If  you  do  not  force  our  people 
to  become  Christians,  we  will  not  force  them  not 
to  become  Christians  if  they  wish  to.' 

"As  the  new  buildings  for  the  university  are 
not  yet  up,  the  Governor  kindly  lent  for  our 
present  use  the  Hwang  Hwa  Kuan,  the  residence 
of  the  Imperial  Examiner  for  the  Chinese  M.A. 
degree,  which  was  put  up  by  H.  E.  Chang  Chih 
Tung  when  Governor  there,  over  twenty  years 
ago.  It  is  the  best  building  for  our  purpose  in  the 
city.     This  was  handed  over  to  us  on  the  9th  of 


164  Fire  and  Sword  in  Shansi 

June,  when  the  Governor  invited  Principal  Duncan, 
Professor  Nystrom,  and  myself  to  meet  the  lead- 
ing officials  and  gentry  of  the  city  to  dinner  in 
our  new  quarters.  This  was  the  happy  conclusion 
of  our  negotiations.      On  the  following  day  I  left. 

"On  the  26th  of  June,  when  the  necessary 
alterations  had  been  made  in  the  buildings,  the 
Foreign  Department  was  formally  opened,  with 
the  Governor,  leading  officials,  and  gentry  in 
attendance,  when  ninety-eight  students  enrolled 
themselves.  Two  more  foreign  professors,  Messrs. 
Peck  and  Swallow,  have  gone  to  Shansi  since, 
thus  making  the  Shansi  University  stronger  in 
its  foreign  staff  than  any  other  as  yet. 

"  The  next  important  question,  as  to  how  to 
provide  the  best  text-books  for  the  university, 
is  too  wide  a  subject  to  enter  on  here,  though 
intimately  connected  with  the  well-being  of  the 
university.  Meanwhile  we  have  a  translation 
department  in  Shanghai,  where  Professor  Lyman 
and  Mr.  Darrock,  with  a  staff  of  Chinese  assistants, 
are  hard  at  work  preparing  text-books. 

"  So  much  in  regard  to  the  new  agreement  by 
which  the  two  institutions  in  Shansi  work  har- 
moniously instead  of  as  rivals.  May  they  both 
prove  fruitful  of  much  good  to  that  sorely  afflicted 
province.  The  ability,  energy,  and  devotion  of 
the  Principal,  and  the  high  qualifications  of  the 
professors,  together  with  the  goodwill  of  the 
officials  and  gentry,  give  us  every  reason  to  hope 
that  it  will  be  so.  Mrs.  Duncan,  who  is  an 
L.L.A.,  and  who  at  present  is   the  only  foreign 


After  the  Massacres  165 

lady  in  T'ai  Yiian  Fu,  hopes  by  and  by  to  open 
a  school  for  higher-class  ladies." 

[With  regard  to  the  funds  for  the  support  of 
the  university,  Principal  Moir  Duncan,  writing  on 
23rd  September  1902,  said — 

"  I.  The  money  is  not,  as  represented,  blood 
money,  in  any  sense. 

"  2.  It  is  not  being  extorted  from  an  unwilling 
and  famine-stricken  populace,  but  comes  direct 
from  the  Board  of  Revenue."] 

THE    ROMAN    CATHOLICS    AND    THE    INDEMNITY 

While  the  question  of  compensating  the  Pro- 
testant Missions  was  satisfactorily  settled  in  a  com- 
paratively short  time,  far  different  was  it  with  the 
claims  of  the  Roman   Catholics. 

It  must  be  remembered  that  they  lost  both  in 
persons  and  property  much  more  heavily  than  the 
Protestants ;  but,  however  great  their  losses,  these 
hardly  justified  the  demands  made.  At  one  of 
the  first  interviews  with  the  acting  Governor  they 
formulated  the  following  claims  : — 

1.  In  the  city  of  T'ai  Yiian  Fu  itself  they 
demanded  that  either  the  Governor's  yamen  or 
a  large  college  called  the  Ling  Teh  T'ang  should 
be  handed  over  to  them  as  a  place  of  residence, 
in  lieu  of  the  cathedral  and  adjoining  buildings 
which  had  been  destroyed.  Further,  they  de- 
manded either  the  buildings  of  the  Military 
Academy  or  the  Arsenal. 

2.  Outside  the   city  they  demanded   that  two 


1 66  Fire  and  Sword  in  Shansi 

market  towns  should  be  practically  handed  over 
to  them — the  original  inhabitants  being  made  to 
vacate  their  homes,  as  they  had  been  deeply 
implicated  in  the  Boxer  movement.  The  first 
of  these  places  is  Shih  T'ieh,  a  most  important 
market  town  some  90  "  li "  east  of  T'ai  Yiian 
Fu,  on  the  high  road  from  the  provinces  of  Shansi, 
Shensi,  and  Kansuh  to  Peking.  There,  all  carts 
travelling  east  or  west  have  to  change  axle-trees, 
as  the  gauge  alters  from  broad  to  narrow.  It  can 
easily  be  seen,  therefore,  what  a  strategic  point 
that  is,  and  how  any  person  or  party  possessing 
it  would  practically  control  all  the  traffic  through 
Hwai  Luh  and  the  Ku  Kwan  Pass  westward. 

The  second  place — Chin  Tzu — 50  "li"  south- 
west of  T'ai  Yiian  Fu,  is  celebrated  for  its  spring 
of  abundant  and  pure  water.  There  are  many 
legends  concerning  the  origin  of  the  spring ;  and 
a  splendid  temple  has  been  erected  in  its  vicinity, 
which  is  the  resort  of  not  a  few  wealthy  people 
during  the  summer  months.  The  water  from  the 
spring  is  public  property,  and  is  most  carefully 
utilised  for  the  irrigation  of  many  acres  of  adjoin- 
ing land,  on  which  is  grown  rice ;  and  the  Chin 
Tzu  rice  is  celebrated  all  over  the  province.  Both 
these  places  the  Governor  was,  of  course,  most 
unwilling  to  hand  over  to  them. 

3.  A  money  indemnity  of  Tls.  10,000,000. 

It  is  little  wonder  that  when  these  demands 
were  formulated  the  Governor  was  aghast ;  and 
after  much  discussion  he  said  to  the  priest,  "  I 
really  cannot  grant  your  demands,  and  you  had 


After  the  Massacres  167 

better  accuse  me  to  the  authorities  at  Peking, 
saying  that  I  am  unfit  for  my  office ;  for  I  would 
rather  lose  rank  and  office  than  give  away  public 
property."  (This  was  related  to  me  by  one  who 
was  present  at  the  interview.) 

Then  it  was  that  the  Vicar- General,  Father 
Barnabas,  wrote  the  following  letter,  sending  one 
copy  to  Count  von  Waldersee,  another  to  General 
von  Kettler,  and  a  third  to  the  German  officer 
commanding  at  the  Ch'ang  Ch'eng  K'ou  Pass : — 

"T'ai  Yuan  Fu,  \othJune  1901. 

"  Sir,  —  We  have  received  three  times  the 
report  that  the  General  Tung  Fu  Hsiang,  in  West 
Mongolia,  has  killed  all  Belgian  missionaries,  and 
on  the  loth  of  June  crossed  the  Yellow  River  and 
has  come  to  Shansi  in  order  to  take  the  city  of 
T'ai  Ylian  Fu  and  kill  every  Catholic.  The 
Viceroy  says  he  has  sent  troops  to  oppose  General 
Tung,  but  I  do  not  believe  he  is  able  to  do  so, 
even  if  it  is  true  that  he  has  sent  any  troops. 
Also  in  Yung  Ning  Chou  rebellion  has  broken 
out.  People  say  that  the  well-known  haters  of 
Europeans,  Ma  Yii  K'uen  and  Hu  Ch'eng  Szu, 
will  come  here  very  soon.  His  nephew  Ma  Ch'in 
YU  is  still  here.  The  officials  are  not  willing  to 
receive  us  in  audience,  and  will  not  punish  the 
most  guilty  of  the  Boxers.  All  is  showing 
imminent  danger.  I  know  that  the  glorious 
German  army  has  helped  the  Missions  very 
much,  and  so  I  ask  you  to  send  a  strong  force 
for  the  protection  of  T'ai  Ylian  Fu.      Here  in  our 


1 68  Fire  and  Sword  in  Shansi 

city  a  thousand  and  more  men  can  live,  I  beg 
you  not  to  listen  to  the  stories  of  Chinese,  even 
though  they  are  priests.  They  are  afraid  of  the 
Mandarins,  and  say  always  there  is  no  danger. — I 
am,  Sir,  with  due  respect,  your  humble  servant, 
"  Barnabas,  Vic  Generalis. 

"  PS. — We  have  telegraphed  three  times  to 
Peking  and  written  three  times,  but  I  believe  they 
have  not  arrived,  and  we  have  received  no  reply." 

Had  the  priests  induced  either  German  or 
French  troops  to  go  to  their  rescue  (!),  they  would 
have  been  able  to  press  their  demands  with  a 
force  at  their  back. 

Failing  this,  they  were  not,  however,  to  be  out- 
done ;  so  on  one  point  at  least  they  presented  an 
ultimatum,  saying  that  at  four  o'clock  on  a  certain 
day  they  would  go  and  occupy  the  college  (Ling 
Teh  T'ang)  ;  and,  if  opposed  and  there  was  trouble, 
they  would  hold  the  local  officials  responsible. 
Not  wishing  for  a  scene  or  further  complication, 
the  authorities  induced  the  resident  staff  and 
students  to  leave  before  the  arrival  of  the  priests, 
who  at  the  time  appointed  appeared  with  many 
of  their  converts  and  took  up  their  abode. 

Eventually  the  matter  was  referred  to  Peking, 
and  Father  Barnabas  went  to  plead  his  own 
cause.  He  there  disagreed  with  the  French 
Minister,  and  withdrew  the  Mission  from  French 
protection,  but  failed  to  place  it  under  Italian 
protection.  His  true  motive  came  out,  and  as  a 
result  he  was  not  allowed  to  return  to  Shansi. 


After  the  Massacres  169 

Meanwhile  the  priests  who  remained  kept 
themselves  well  before  the  people.  In  August  an 
image  of  the  Virgin  Mary  was  brought  from  one 
of  their  out-stations  to  be  placed  in  a  building  of 
the  newly  occupied  college,  which  they  used  as  a 
chapel.  It  was  escorted  with  much  pomp,  bands 
playing  and  banners  flying ;  and  four  specially 
appointed  officials  (Wei  Yuan)  went  out  some 
distance  to  meet  and  escort  it  to  its  destination. 
Much  attention  was  attracted  by  the  unusual 
procession,  and  many  people  lined  the  street  as 
spectators.  Here  and  there  one  would  be  found 
who  had  his  queue  round  his  head  or  a  cloth  on 
his  forehead,  to  protect  him  from  the  sun.  If  such 
were  within  reach  of  the  sticks  with  which  the 
converts  were  provided,  they  promptly  got  a 
knock  on  the  head,  followed  by  the  injunction  to 
put  down  the  queue  or  remove  the  cloth !  Inside 
the  college  elaborate  services  were  held  for  several 
days,  attended  by  about  a  thousand  people. 

In  the  villages  too  they  were  also  much  to  the 
fore.  Wherever  any  of  their  converts  had  been 
killed,  they  demanded  from  the  village  one 
thousand  "  strings  "  of  cash  (each  "  string "  con- 
sisting of  1000  cash)  to  pay  for  a  suitable 
funeral,  which  was  to  be  accompanied  by  all  the 
usual  paraphernalia  of  bands,  memorial  banners, 
flags,  etc.  As  these  same  villagers  would  have  to 
pay  their  share  of  the  general  indemnity  money, 
the  officials  considered  they  could  not  ask  them 
to  pay  such  a  large  amount  in  addition,  specially 
in  view  of  the  bad  harvests  of  the  last  two  years. 


170  Fire  and  Sword  In  Shansi 

They  accordingly  asked  the  priests  to  let  them 
know  what  they  really  wanted,  and  they  would 
estimate  the  cost.  On  receiving  the  programme 
of  the  ceremonies  demanded,  they  calculated  that 
it  could  be  carried  out  for  the  sum  of  forty-six 
"  strings "  of  cash !  and  offered  to  procure  that 
amount  from  each  of  the  villages  implicated. 
Eventually  this  was  agreed  to ;  but  the  priest  said 
he  must,  in  addition,  have  one  hundred  "  strings  " 
from  each  village,  to  pay  for  the  "  masses  for  the 
dead  "  that  would  have  to  be  said. 

After  several  months  of  negotiation,  it  was 
settled  that  the  monetary  indemnity  should  be 
only  Tls.  2,250,000;  that  the  demand  for  the 
two  market  towns  should  be  given  up ;  and  that 
two  months  after  the  signing  of  the  agreement 
the  college  (Ling  Teh  T'ang)  should  be  handed 
back  to  the  Chinese  authorities. 

The  Rev.  Arthur  Sowerby,  writing  in  February 
1902  from  T'ai  Yiian  Fu  to  the  North  China 
Herald,  said — 

"  The  affairs  of  the  Roman  Catholic  Missions 
in  T'ai  Yiian  Fu  are  not  yet  finally  settled. 
Lately  Monsignor  Hofmann,  Bishop  of  Lu  An  Fu, 
has  been  here  to  act  as  intermediary.  The  priests 
belonging  to  the  Italian  Mission  are  young  men, 
with  but  a  few  years'  experience,  and  have  not 
proved  capable  of  managing  such  delicate  nego- 
tiations. The  chief  difficulty  arises  from  the 
forcible  possession  and  retention  of  the  large 
college  known  as  the  Ling  Teh  T'ang.  H.  E. 
Shen  Taot'ai  recently  obtained  an  expression  of 


After  the  Massacres  171 

opinion  from  a  large  number  of  literary  graduates 
on  the  missionary  question.  They  wholly  acquit 
the  Protestant  missionaries  of  any  blameworthiness, 
but  they  unanimously  express  great  indignation 
with  the  Catholics  for  their  possession  of  the 
Ling  Teh  T'ang.  H.  E.  Shen  reported  this  to 
Bishop  Hofmann,  who  declared  that  it  must  be 
relinquished.  If  relinquished,  however.  Bishop 
Hofmann  demands  a  public  funeral  for  the  mur- 
dered bishops,  and  pressed  for  the  attendance  of 
the  Governor  at  the  funeral.  Shen  Taot'ai  will 
grant  them  exactly  a  similar  ceremony  to  that 
given  to  the  Protestant  missionaries,  but  no  more. 
He  will  attend  in  person,  but  not  the  Fut'ai.  The 
bishop  pleads  the  exalted  rank  of  the  murdered 
bishops ;  but  Shen  Taot'ai  replied  that  the  Chinese 
officials  know  no  difference  between  a  Roman 
Catholic  bishop  or  priest  or  Protestant  missionary, 
— all  must  be  treated  as  friends.  The  Catholics 
reply  that  they  cannot  give  up  the  Ling  Teh  T'ang 
unless  the  Fut'ai  will  attend  the  funeral ;  and  to  this 
the  indignant  answer  is :  *  Well  then,  keep  it.' 

"  During  the  conversation  H.  E.  Shen  Taot'ai 
had  one  trump-card  up  his  sleeve,  which  he  played 
to  advantage.  Suddenly  he  told  the  priests 
that  if  he  wished  he  could  have  them  all  arrested 
by  his  soldiers  and  put  out  of  Shansi,  as  they  had 
no  passports.  Astonished,  they  replied  that  they 
had  passports  obtained  from  the  French  Govern- 
ment; and  then  they  were  informed  that,  owing 
to  the  action  of  Father  Barnabas,  who  had  dis- 
agreed with  the  French  Minister,  so  long  ago  as 


172  Fire  and  Sword  in  Shansi 

last  June  all  their  passports  had  been  cancelled. 
Father  Barnabas  had  withdrawn  the  Mission 
from  French  protection,  and  they  had  failed  to 
place  themselves  under  Italian  protection.  Thus 
for  eight  months  these  priests  have,  in  entire 
ignorance,  been  at  the  mercy  of  the  Chinese ;  and 
some  credit  must  be  given  to  H.  E.  Shen  for  his 
forbearance  in  allowing  them  to  remain  in  T'ai 
Yiian  Fu.  After  this  H.  E.  Shen  declined  to 
recognise  that  they  had  any  right  to  discuss  the 
question  further  with  him,  and  would  only  con- 
sent to  do  so  as  on  the  ground  of  friendship. 
There  can  be  no  doubt  that  the  worthy  bishop 
has  done  his  best  as  a  peacemaker,  and  has 
gained  respect  in  consequence ;  but  only  time 
will  show  whether  the  policy  adopted  by  the 
Catholics  of  attempting  to  gain  all  they  could, 
rather  than  being  willing  to  relinquish  all  they 
could,  which  has  characterised  the  action  of  the 
Protestant  Missions,  has  been  the  wiser  method. 

"  Bishop  Hofmann  further  demanded  that,  if 
the  Ling  Teh  T'ang  be  relinquished,  no  Protestant 
missionary,  or  anyone  who  had  ever  held  that 
position,  be  allowed  to  enter  it.  This  was  going 
beyond  his  province,  and  was  a  distinct  blow  at 
Dr.  Richard's  proposed  Shansi  University.  Here 
again,  and  very  rightly,  H.  E.  Shen  adopted  a 
very  firm  position,  and  refused  to  yield  to  this 
audacious  proposal." 

The  latest  news  is  that  the  college  has  been  given 
up,  but  the  other  points  are  still  under  discussion. 


CHAPTER     IV 
Persecutions  of  the  Native  Church 

[The  numbers  within  brackets  denote  the  age  of  the  martyr s.'\ 

THE  following  particulars  of  the  sufferings 
of  the  Chinese  Christians  in  Shansi  are 
given,  as  far  as  possible,  in  the  words  of  the 
narrators  themselves. 

The  tortures  to  which  some  were  subjected 
cannot  be  mentioned  ;  but  in  several  instances 
details  are  given,  that  the  Christian  Church  may 
know  how  nobly  some  of  their  brethren  and 
sisters  have  suffered. 

t'ai  yuan  fu 

When  the  foreigners  were  inveigled  out  of  the 
Mission  house  by  a  promise  of  protection  and 
confined  in  one  nearer  the  Hsien  (Sub-Prefect's) 
yamen,  treachery  was  suspected,  yet  several  Chinese 
voluntarily  offered  to  go  with  them  to  act  as 
servants — Wang  Hsi  Ho  as  cook  to  Mr.  Hoddle, 
and  Chang  Ch'eng  Sheng  in  the  same  capacity 
for  Mr.  Beynon.  Both  came  from  the  province 
of  Chihli,  so  that  it  is  probable,  had  they  wished 
to  escape,  they  could  have  done  so.  Besides 
these  there   were   Liu    Pai   Yiian,  who  had  been 

173 


174  Fire  and  Sword  in  Shansi 

an  assistant  in  the  hospital  for  several  years,  and 
Liu  Hao,  who  was  acting  temporarily  as  a  servant. 
Of. these  four, three  were  baptized  and  the  fourth  had 
given  in  his  name  as  an  "  inquirer."  There  was  also 
Ch'ang  Ang,  a  boy  of  only  fifteen,  who  had  been 
a  pupil  in  Mr.  Pigott's  school  at  Shou  Yang,  and 
who,  when  the  trouble  broke  out  there,  fled  to  T'ai 
Yuan  Fu  and  took  refuge  with  the  missionaries. 

About  noon  on  9th  July  Mr.  Farthing  sent 
the  two  young  men  Liu  Pai  Yiian  and  Liu  Hao 
out  on  different  messages  —  the  latter  being 
directed  to  call  both  a  mason  and  a  whitewasher 
to  do  some  repairs.  Before  they  had  time  to 
return,  the  Governor — Yu  Hsien — went  with  his 
soldiers  to  the  house,  arrested  all  whom  he  found 
there,  and  took  them  to  his  yamen,  where  they 
were  immediately  killed  by  his  orders  and  in  his 
presence.  Not  only  were  the  two  servants  and 
the  scholar  from  Shou  Yang  massacred  with  the 
foreigners,  but  also  the  mason  who  had  just 
arrived ;  and  several  others  whose  names  are  not 
known,  who  had  gone  to  visit  the  missionaries 
on  various  business  matters.  Accompanying  the 
Roman  Catholic  bishops,  priests,  and  nuns  were 
also  five  Chinese,  who  met  the  same  fate. 
The  next  day  their  cathedral  was  attacked, 
and  forty-nine  converts  massacred,  most  of  the 
women  and  girls  being  spared,  and  subsequently 
sold  to  the  Boxers  and  their  friends ;  but  many 
of  these  were  afterwards  recovered  and  returned 
to  their  relatives.  After  9th  July  only  four 
Protestant  converts  were  killed  in  T'ai  Yiian  Fu 


Persecutions  of  the  Native  Church     175 

itself,  but  the  houses  of  those  who  had  any 
valuables  were  all  looted  and  then  utilised  as 
stables  for  the  soldiers !  In  the  immediate 
vicinity  the  Roman  Catholics  suffered  severely, 
two  hundred  being  killed  in  one  village  alone ; 
and  it  is  estimated  that  in  the  whole  province 
they  lost  about  eight  thousand  ;  while  the  total 
loss  of  the  Protestants  (so  far  as  is  known)  is 
about  three  hundred  and  eighty.  Of  these,  one 
hundred  and  fifty-six  were  connected  with  the 
China  Inland  Mission,  one  hundred  and  twenty 
with  the  English  Baptist  Society,  seventy-nine 
with  the  American  Board,  and  twenty-seven  with 
the  Shou  Yang  Mission.  Others  were  killed  in 
that  part  of  Shansi  outside  the  Great  Wall,  but 
full  particulars  of  these  are  not  yet  to  hand. 

That  there  were  not  more  killed  is  probably 
due  to  the  fact  that  soon  after  9th  July  a  pro- 
clamation was  issued  notifying  the  Christians  that 
if  they  left  the  Church  they  should  be  protected. 
A  great  number  availed  themselves  of  this  offer, 
and,  having  obtained  the  certificates  of  protection, 
returned  to  their  homes  to  find  them  pillaged 
and  burnt.  But  the  Boxers  having  tasted  blood, 
it  was  difficult  to  restrain  them;  so  on  25th 
August  another  proclamation  was  issued  saying 
that  the  authority  to  kill  was  not  with  the  people 
or  even  the  high  officials,  and  if  after  that  date 
any  Christians  were  killed  without  cause  (!)  the 
murderers  would  be  summarily  executed. 

Of  the  districts  worked  by  Protestant  Missions, 
that  of  T'ai  Ku,  occupied  by  the  American  Board, 


176  Fire  and  Sword  in  Shansi 

suffered  most  severely,  and  details  will  probably 
be  published  by  Dr.  Atwood,  the  sole  survivor 
of  that  Mission  in  Shansi  ;  but  the  noble  example 
of  evangelist  Liu  must  be  mentioned.  Of  com- 
manding presence,  he  was  all  his  life  a  well-known 
figure  in  T'ai  Ku,  having  been  for  some  years 
employed  in  the  local  yamen.  Being  a  confirmed 
opium  smoker,  he  applied  to  Mr.  Clapp  to  assist 
him  break  off  the  habit,  and  while  under  his  care 
was  converted.  Very  soon  he  became  conspicu- 
ous as  a  Christian,  and  for  several  years  was  Mr. 
Clapp's  right-hand  helper.  When  the  troubles 
broke  out,  many  of  his  friends  promised  to  hide 
and  protect  him  if  he  would  but  leave  the  mission- 
aries ;  but  this  he  stoutly  refused  to  do.  When 
the  Boxers  broke  into  the  Mission  premises,  to 
their  surprise  they  found  him  quietly  sitting  at 
the  door  of  the  chapel  where  he  Lad  so  often 
preached,  and  he  met  them  with  the  words,  "  Come 
on  friends,  kill  me  first ! "  Without  any  mercy 
he  was  immediately  cut  down. 

SHOU    YANG    HSIEN 

Shou  Yang  Hsien  comes  next  with  a  martyr 
roll  of  seventy,  nineteen  of  whom  were  killed  out- 
side the  west  gate  of  the  city,  after  a  mock  trial 
held  before  the  magistrate  himself  and  the  Boxer 
leaders,  while  the  rest  were  massacred  wherever 
they  were  caught.  Some  of  them  were  offered 
their  lives  if  they  would  recant,  but  refused  to  deny 
their  Lord  ;  while  others  were  not  given  the  option. 

Not  a  few  families  were  almost  exterminated, — 


Memorial  Shrvuk  at  Shou  Van( 


Reception  of  Mourners  liy  the  Resident   Magistrate  in  his  Vanien. 


Miiurner.i  gathered  ruurul  liie  site  of  martyrdom  and  Inirial  (X) 
of  nineteen  Chinese  Christians. 


Persecutions  of  the  Native  Church      177 

no  mercy  being  shown  to  even  infants  in  arms, — 
but  perhaps  the  one  who  suftered  most  was  that 
of  Yen  Lai  Pao,  the  Christian  who  nobly  offered 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Pigott  a  refuge  in  his  home  when 
they  had  to  flee  on  29th  June.  They  were  only 
there  three  days,  and  then  had  to  forsake  that 
refuge,  as  the  Boxers  had  risen  in  the  neighbouring 
villages,  where  they  were  killing  the  Christians  and 
burning  their  houses.  On  the  evening  of  Monday 
2nd  July  Mr.  Pigott  and  family  returned  to  Shou 
Yang,  while  Yen  and  his  relatives  (numbering 
twenty  people)  fled  into  the  mountain  ravines  close 
at  hand.  The  next  day  the  Boxers  appeared  and 
burnt  all  the  houses  of  this  family,  after  having 
first  stolen  everything  that  was  of  any  value. 
Then  began  the  search  for  the  members  of  the 
family,  and  the  first  to  be  arrested  was  Yen  Lai 
Pao  himself,  who  was  immediately  killed.  One  of 
his  younger  sons  was  then  found ;  and  because  he 
would  not  say  where  the  rest  of  the  family  were 
hiding,  he  was  taken  to  his  village  and  there 
tortured  to  make  him  confess.  His  hands  and 
feet  were  tied  together  behind,  and  a  pole  passed 
between,  by  which  he  was  suspended.  Still 
refusing  to  reveal  the  hiding-place  of  his  relatives, 
burning  incense  was  then  placed  upon  his  back 
and  a  heavy  stone  put  upon  that !  All  this  failed 
to  elicit  any  information  from  him ;  yet  that  same 
day  six  other  members  of  the  family  were  arrested, 
sent  to  the  city  (Shou  Yang),  and  there  killed. 
Within  the  next  few  days  seven  others  were 
arrested  and  killed,  and  only  six  men  were  left  to 
12 


178  Fire  and  Sword  in  Shansi 

represent  the  family,  all  the  women  and  younger 
members  having  fallen  victims  to  the  hatred  of 
their  enemies.  That  they  suffered  so  severely 
was  undoubtedly  due  to  the  fact  that  they  dared 
to  offer  a  refuge  to  the  foreigners ;  and,  while  no 
compensation  will  make  up  for  the  serious  loss  of 
life,  their  noble  efforts  to  protect  the  missionaries 
will  not  be  forgotten. 

Of  the  nineteen  who  suffered  outside  the  gate 
of  Shou  Yang  city,  some  were  put  to  death  in  a 
most  barbarous  manner ;  but  Mi  Sien  Seng  was 
the  one  who  was  treated  with  the  greatest  cruelty. 
He  was  a  member  of  the  Baptist  Mission,  and  for 
some  years  had  been  one  of  Mr.  Pigott's  helpers. 
When  taken  before  the  mock  tribunal,  composed  of 
the  magistrate  and  Boxer  leaders,  he  was  very  fear- 
less, and  refused  to  recant.  He  was  then  handed 
over  for  execution,  taken  outside  the  city  with  several 
others,  and  there  mutilated  in  a  manner  which  for- 
bids description,  before  being  finally  beheaded. 

Among  those  killed  at  the  same  time  as  Mi 
Sien  Seng  was  Wang  Ten  Jen,  who  had  been 
practically  brought  up  in  Mr.  Pigott's  household, 
and  proved  one  of  his  most  faithful  servants  and 
helpers.  When  the  missionaries  fled  he  was 
anxious  to  accompany  them,  but  had  to  remain  to 
look  after  his  wife  and  children.  Being  a  most 
consistent  Christian,  he  was  soon  sought  out  by  the 
Boxers,  who  took  him  before  their  tribunal.  He 
stoutly  refused  to  defile  a  figure  of  the  cross  made 
on  the  ground,  though  offered  his  life  if  he  would 
do  so,  and  was  immediately  sentenced  to  death. 


Persecutions  of  the  Native  Church      1 79 

Tsai  Ching  Yung  was  an  object  of  special  hatred 
by  the  Boxers,  and  suffered  severely  in  consequence. 
He  was  a  house  painter  by  trade,  and  also  at  times 
painted  idols.  While  a  patient  in  the  hospital  at 
T'ai  Yiian  Fu  he  was  converted,  and  then  gave  up 
that  part  of  his  trade.  On  returning  to  his  home 
he  used  a  room  in  his  house  as  a  village  chapel, 
and  was  quite  fearless  in  preaching,  venturing  even 
into  the  temples  or  wherever  he  could  get  an 
audience.  When  caught  by  the  Boxers  he  was 
first  beaten  and  wounded,  then  bound  and  taken 
before  the  tribunal  at  Shou  Yang.  While  lying 
there  bound  and  bruised,  he  was  ridiculed  by  the 
bystanders.  Some  asked, "  Does  it  hurt,  teacher  ?  " 
while  others  rejoined,  "  Ah,  it  won't  last  long." 
Another  said,  "  Preach  to  us  now,  teacher ! " 
After  a  so-called  trial  he  too  was  condemned  to 
death,  and  beheaded  outside  the  city,  his  head 
being  hung  on  a  neighbouring  tree. 

Li  Kai,  an  old  man  of  over  sixty,  was  arrested 
by  the  people  of  his  own  village  and  handed  over 
to  the  Boxers,  who  took  him  to  the  city.  When 
brought  before  the  official  he  was  too  dazed  to 
answer  any  questions,  so  was  beaten  till  nearly 
insensible  and  then  placed  in  a  tall  wooden  cage, 
with  only  his  head  protruding  through  an  aperture 
in  the  top — one  of  the  most  cruel  forms  of  Chinese 
torture.  After  a  few  hours,  as  he  was  not  dead, 
he  was  taken  out  and  executed  outside  the  city 
with  others. 

One  of  the  saddest  cases  was  that  of  faithful 
Hu  of  Shih  T'ieh,  who  for  many  years  had  been 


i8o  Fire  and  Sword  In  ShansI 

an  evangelist  in  connection  with  the  Baptist 
Mission.  He  was  well  known,  and  his  whole- 
hearted witness  early  marked  him  out  for  death. 
He  was  finally  hunted  down,  beheaded,  disem- 
bowelled, his  heart  cut  out,  and  then  his  dis- 
membered body  was  cast  into  the  fire. 

Of  the  seventy-one  killed  in  this  district  forty- 
two  were  men,  eighteen  women,  and  eleven  chil- 
dren ;  and  the  above  are  but  a  few  samples  of  the 
manner  in  which  many  of  them  heroically  met 
their  death.  Not  a  few  fled  into  the  mountains, 
and  were  chased  for  days  by  their  pursuers. 
Husbands  were  killed  in  the  presence  of  their 
wives,  while  children  were  massacred  in  their 
mothers'  arms.  One  woman  was  actually  buried 
alive.  All  their  sufferings  could  not  be  delineated, 
and  will  probably  never  be  fully  known. 

That  so  many  suffered  in  Shou  Yang  Hsien 
was  undoubtedly  partly  due  to  the  apathy  of 
the  official  then  in  office.  He  made  no  effort 
whatever  to  protect  the  Christians ;  but,  when  two 
Boxers  threatened  him  for  some  reason,  he 
immediately  sent  to  T'ai  Ylian  Fu  for  help,  and 
on  the  arrival  of  two  hundred  soldiers  had  the 
men  arrested  and  beheaded,  the  only  two  who 
were  punished  in  that  district ! 

HSIN    CHOU    DISTRICT 

In  the  district  of  Hsin  Chou  (the  scene  of  the 
massacre  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Herbert  Dixon,  Mr. 
and    Mrs.  Wm.  M'Currach,  Mr.  and    Mrs.  T.   J. 


Persecutions  of  the  Native  Church      i8i 

Underwood,  Miss  Bessie  Renaut,  and  Mr.  Sydney 
W.  Ennals)  the  persecution  began  soon  after  the 
flight  of  the  missionaries  for  their  Hves  on  29th 
June.  Several  of  the  Christians  accompanied  them, 
among  whom  was  Ho  Tsuen  Kwei.  He  was  an 
old  man  of  sixty,  and  at  one  time  had  been  part- 
proprietor  of  a  dyeing  business.  On  his  con- 
version he  had  relinquished  his  share  in  this,  and 
accepted  a  comparatively  small  salary  to  act  as 
helper  to  Rev.  J.  J.  Turner.  He  fled  with  the 
missionaries,  and  remained  with  them  in  their 
hiding-place  until  about  i  3th  July,  when  he  was 
sent  to  ascertain  how  matters  were  east  of  Hsin 
Chou,  and  to  see  if  it  were  possible  to  get  to  the 
coast  that  way. 

On  nearing  Hsin  Chou  he  called  at  the  village 
where  his  sister  lived,  and  was  there  arrested  by 
the  local  Boxers — ^just  a  few  lads  in  their  teens. 
By  them  he  was  taken  to  the  town  and  handed 
over  to  the  local  official,  Li  Tsuen  Kwang,  who  at 
once  put  him  in  handcuffs.  The  next  day  this 
official  examined  Ho,  and  tried  to  find  out  from 
him  where  the  missionaries  were  hiding;  but  he 
refused  to  tell.  This  made  the  magistrate  very 
angry,  and  he  ordered  him  to  be  beaten  with  the 
bamboo.  He  still  refused  to  say  where  the 
foreigners  had  gone ;  and,  while  being  beaten,  the 
underlings  of  the  yamen  and  bystanders  ridiculed 
him,  saying,  "  Doesn't  it  hurt  ?  You'll  soon  be  in 
heaven."  He  was  beaten  with  over  a  thousand 
strokes,  and  then  when  nearly  insensible  was 
thrown    into   prison,  still   wearing    his    handcuffs, 


1 82  Fire  and  Sword  in  Shansi 

and  in  addition  his  feet  were  put  in  wooden  stocks. 
Another  Christian  happened  to  be  in  prison  at  the 
time,  and  attended  to  his  few  wants ;  but  he  was 
only  able  to  take  a  little  water,  and  on  the  fourth 
day  death  happily  put  an  end  to  his  sufferings. 
He  was  the  first  martyr — as  he  had  been  one  of 
the  first  converts — in  Hsin  Chou. 

Ang  Hsu  Ken  (50)  and  Chang  Ling  Wang 
(16)  also  retreated  with  the  missionaries  to  their 
hiding  -  place.  The  latter  was  not  a  Church 
member,  but  had  acted  for  some  time  as  a  ser- 
vant to  the  late  Miss  Renaut  These  two  were 
advised  to  return  home,  as  the  provisions  of  the 
party  were  diminishing  and  there  was  little  or  no 
prospect  of  their  being  replenished.  They  started 
on  their  journey,  but  had  not  gone  far  before 
being  arrested  and  examined  by  Boxers.  It  was 
soon  found  out  who  they  were,  and  both  were 
condemned  to  death.  The  elder  man  pleaded 
for  the  life  of  his  young  companion,  and  begged 
that  he  might  be  allowed  to  return.  But  the 
lad  stoutly  refused  to  leave  his  friend,  and  they 
were  both  hacked  to  death  and  their  remains 
burned. 

Si  Er  Mao  (32)  lived  only  10  li  from  Hsin 
Chou,  and  was  well  known  in  the  neighbourhood 
as  a  Christian,  as  he  was  always  preaching  to  his 
heathen  neighbours.  He  was  therefore  one  of 
the  marked  men,  and  on  i  3th  July  was  arrested 
and  bound  by  the  Boxers  of  his  own  and  the 
neighbouring  villages  and  taken  to  a  temple,  where 
he  was  ordered  to   kneel    and  "  kowtow "  to  the 


Persecutions  of  the  Native  Church      183 

leader.  This  he  refused  to  do,  saying  he  was  a 
child  of  God,  and  would  not  kneel  to  devils.  This 
made  the  Boxer  chief  very  angry,  and  he  ordered 
his  followers  to  beat  him  with  sticks.  At  once  he 
was  knocked  down  and  beaten  while  on  the  ground, 
but  still  he  refused  to  kneel.  His  hands  and  feet 
were  then  tied  together  behind  him,  a  pole  was 
passed  through,  and,  slung  in  this  way,  he  was 
carried  to  the  boundary  of  two  villages  and  there 
hacked  to  death  with  swords.  Having  heard  Si 
often  speak  of  the  doctrine  of  the  resurrection, 
and  fearing  lest  there  might  be  some  truth  in  it, 
they  cut  across  the  soles  of  his  feet  before  burying 
him  in  a  ditch  that  was  near  at  hand  ! 

On  the  same  day,  Chang  Tao  (47)  and  Si  Hwa 
Yu  (68)  were  arrested,  taken  to  the  village  temple, 
tried,  and  condemned  to  death  unless  they  would 
recant.  This  they  refused  to  do,  and  were  then 
taken  to  the  spot  where  Si  Er  Mao  had  been 
murdered,  and  were  again  urged  to  leave  the 
Church.  They  still  declined  to  do  this,  and  were 
immediately  cut  down  and  killed.  As  a  favour, 
their  relatives  were  allowed  to  take  away  their 
remains  for  burial ;  but  they  were  not  interred  in 
the  family  graveyard. 

A  few  days  after,  Chang  Tao's  mother  (70) 
and  daughter  (11)  found  it  necessary,  in  con- 
sequence of  the  threats  of  the  Boxers,  to  leave 
their  home  and  seek  refuge  with  friends  in  a 
village  near  by ;  but  no  one  would  take  them  in, 
as  they  were  connected  with  Christians.  At  a 
loss  to  know  what  to  do,  they  were  returning  to 


184  Fire  and  Sword  In  Shansi 

their  own  village,  when  they  were  met  by  a  band 
of  Boxers,  who  arrested  and  took  them  to  their 
chief  in  Hsin  Chou  to  ask  for  instructions  as  to 
their  fate.  The  answer  soon  came :  "  Kill  them 
where  arrested,"  and  they  were  accordingly  taken 
back  and  murdered  near  their  own  village. 

Cheo  Chi  Cheng  (30)  was  employed  in  a 
boot  shop  in  Hsin  Chou.  The  same  day  that  the 
missionaries  fled  he  took  his  wife  and  child  to  his 
mother-in-law's  village  for  safety.  Not  long  after, 
he  was  arrested  there  by  the  local  Boxers  and 
beaten  till  he  was  insensible.  They  then  searched 
his  clothes,  and,  finding  that  he  had  on  his  person 
a  copy  of  the  New  Testament,  decided  to  burn 
him.  For  this  purpose  they  made  every  family 
in  the  village  contribute  a  bundle  of  millet  sticks, 
with  which  the  fire  was  made,  and  he  was  thrown 
on  and  burnt  to  death. 

Wang  Cheng  Pang  (50)  was  well  known  as  a 
Christian,  so  when  the  trouble  broke  out  he  had 
to  flee  with  his  wife  and  family.  He  took  them 
to  a  waste  place  in  the  open  country ;  and  then, 
thinking  they  would  be  safer  if  he  were  not  there, 
left  them  with  the  intention  of  going  to  a  distance. 
But  before  he  had  gone  very  far  he  was  recognised 
by  some  men  of  a  neighbouring  village  who  were 
watching  their  crops,  and  they  immediately  set 
upon  him  with  stones  and  beat  him  till  he  was 
insensible.  Finding  that  he  was  not  dead,  they 
knocked  out  his  brains  with  their  reaping-hooks. 
No  other  member  of  his  family  was  injured,  as 
they  all  managed  in  one  way  or  another  to  escape. 


Persecutions  of  the  Native  Church      185 

When  the  missionaries  fled  on  29th  June  they 
rested  at  noon  at  the  house  of  a  Christian  named 
Chang  Chih  Kweh  (53),  who  welcomed  them 
warmly,  and  did  all  he  could  for  them.  A  few 
days  after,  when  they  were  settled  in  their  cave,  he 
went  to  visit  them,  but  was  arrested  on  his  way 
by  the  villagers  of  Fu  Chia  Chwang,  who,  long 
before  the  Boxer  outbreak,  had  been  the  bitter 
opponents  of  their  Christian  neighbours  because 
they  would  not  subscribe  towards  the  local  the- 
atricals or  the  upkeep  of  the  temples.  That  same 
day  the  Boxers  from  Hsin  Chou  arrived  at  the 
village  on  their  way  to  seek  the  hiding-place  of 
the  foreigners,  and  demanded  that  Chang  should 
be  their  guide.  But  he  stoutly  refused  to  show 
them  the  way,  even  though  he  was  threatened 
with  death.  His  persistent  refusal  so  angered 
them  that  they  set  upon  him  with  swords  and 
sticks,  and  he  was  slowly  done  to  death. 

One  of  the  saddest,  and  yet  perhaps  brightest, 
cases  is  that  of  Chao  Hsi  Mao  (30),  his  mother 
(57),  sister  (36),  and  wife,  only  nineteen  years  old. 
Being  a  prominent  and  well-known  Christian,  he 
was  advised  by  his  friends  to  leave  his  own 
village  and  flee.  This  he  refused  to  do,  and  in 
July  all  four  members  were  arrested  by  the 
Boxers,  and  their  house  and  all  their  belongings 
burnt.  They  were  then  bound  and  taken  on  a 
cart  to  the  Boxer  chief  at  Hsin  Chou  to  ask  for 
instructions.  He  said :  "  I  don't  want  to  see 
them  ;  take  them  back  and  kill  them  where 
arrested."      While  on  their  way  back  they  joined 


1 86  Fire  and  Sword  In  Shansi 

in  singing  the  hymn,  "  He  leadeth  me."  Arrived 
at  a  vacant  spot  outside  their  own  village,  they 
were  taken  down  from  the  cart,  and  the  man 
was  first  beheaded  with  the  huge  knife  generally 
used  for  cutting  straw.  Still  the  women  would 
not  recant,  and  the  old  mother  said :  "  You  have 
killed  my  son,  you  can  now  kill  me,"  and  she  too 
was  beheaded.  The  other  two  were  still  stead- 
fast, and  the  sister  said :  "  My  brother  and 
mother  are  dead,  kill  me  too."  After  her  death 
there  was  only  the  young  wife  left,  and  she  said : 
"  You  have  killed  my  husband,  mother  and  sister- 
in-law — what  have  I  to  live  for  ?  Take  my  life 
as  well."  Thus  all  four  sealed  their  testimony 
with  their  blood.  In  addition  to  the  foregoing 
fifteen,  one  was  killed  by  falling  over  a  precipice 
while  fleeing  from  the  Boxers,  so  that  Hsin  Chou 
has  now  the  honour  of  possessing  a  martyr  roll 
of  sixteen  "  valiant  saints." 

The  next  station  north  of  Hsin  Chou  is  Kwo 
Hsien  ;  but  here  only  one  man,  Chang  Kwei  (29), 
lost  his  life,  so  far  as  is  known.  Though  only  an 
"  inquirer,"  he  was  evidently  well  known  as  a 
Christian,  and  was  sought  for  by  the  Boxers. 
He  managed  to  escape  from  his  own  village,  but 
was  caught  in  a  neighbouring  one  and  at  once 
killed. 

Forty  H  north  of  Kwo  Hsien  is  Tai  Chou,  and 
the  number  of  Christians  killed  there  would  have 
been  much  greater  had  it  not  been  for  the 
energetic  action  of  the  Men  Shang  (attendant)  of 
the  local  official.      Amongr  those  who  suffered  was 


Persecutions  of  the  Native  Church      187 

the  mother  of  Chen  Chih  Tao  (50).  When  the 
Boxers  arose,  the  whole  family  had  to  scatter ; 
but  the  mother,  not  being  able  to  go  far,  was  the 
first  one  to  be  found,  and  she  was  discovered 
in  a  neighbouring  temple  where  she  was  hiding. 
At  once  the  Boxers  set  upon  her  with  swords  and 
hacked  her  to  death.  Soon  after,  Chen  Chih  Tao 
himself,  his  father,  and  brother  were  found,  and 
taken  to  the  same  temple.  To  prevent  their 
running  away,  the  soles  of  their  feet  were  burnt 
with  hot  irons,  and  then  they  were  taken  in  a 
cart  to  Tai  Chou,  where  they  were  to  be  tried 
by  the  Boxer  chief  The  Men  Shang  above 
mentioned  having  heard  of  what  was  taking  place, 
waited  till  they  were  passing  the  yamen,  and  then 
rushed  out  with  yamen-runners,  rescued  the  three 
men,  and  kept  them  under  his  own  care  till  the 
trouble  had  blown  over.  In  this  way  this  man 
saved  the  lives  of  more  than  ten  Christians,  him- 
self undertaking  the  responsibility,  as  his  chief 
appears  to  have  been  a  man  without  any  stamina. 
In  all  the  accounts  received,  nothing  is  more 
evident  than  that  the  local  officials  could  protect 
the  Christians  when  they  wished ;  and  that,  when 
they  presented  a  bold  front  to  the  Boxers,  these 
braggarts  and  cowards  were  easily  overawed. 

In  the  case  of  Wang  Shih  (50),  who  was  only 
an  "  inquirer,"  the  Men  Shang  was  unable  to 
interfere,  as  the  father  of  his  accuser  was  a  well- 
to-do  man  with  some  local  influence.  As  early 
as  3rd  June  Wang  Shih  was  attacked  in  his  own 
house,  and  one  of  his  hands  severely  injured.      He 


1 88  Fire  and  Sword  in  Shansi 

was  taken  to  the  official,  and  accused  of  injuring 
his  neighbours.  The  official  asked  what  evidence 
they  had  to  produce ;  and  one  man  at  once  spoke 
up  and  said :  "  My  illness  has  been  caused  by 
him,  and  unless  he  is  killed  I  cannot  get  better." 
The  magistrate  then  asked  Wang  Shih  by  what 
methods  he  injured  people  and  made  them  sick ; 
but  he  made  no  reply.  He  was  then  ordered  to 
be  beaten  several  hundred  blows  with  the  bam- 
boo ;  and  after  being  beaten  they  were  leading 
him  away  to  prison  to  await  further  evidence,  when 
the  Boxers  suddenly  rushed  upon  him,  and,  drag- 
ging him  away  from  the  y^men-runners,  took  him 
without  the  city  to  kill  him.  Arrived  outside  the 
east  gate,  he  was  first  set  upon  by  the  would-be 
sick  man,  who  thrust  him  through  the  abdomen 
with  a  sword.  The  whole  crowd  of  Boxers  then 
attacked  him,  and  he  was  literally  cut  to  pieces. 

The  terror  in  which  even  the  people  connected 
with  Christians  lived  during  the  time  the  Boxer 
power  was  at  its  height  is  illustrated  by  the  case 
of  Chou  Feng  Hsi  (47).  He  was  part-proprietor 
of  a  shop  in  the  city  of  Tai  Chou  itself;  and,  fear- 
ing lest  he  should  be  arrested,  he  attempted  to 
escape  by  climbing  over  a  wall.  Unfortunately,  he 
fell  and  broke  his  leg,  and  was  carried  back  by 
his  assistants  to  the  shop.  His  partners,  fearing 
lest  it  should  be  known  that  they  had  a  Christian 
there,  urged  him  to  poison  himself  by  taking 
opium.  This  at  first  he  firmly  refused  to  do, 
saying,  "  If  you  don't  want  me  here,  hand  me 
over  to  the   magistrate ;    or  even  to  the  Boxers 


llsia  Chou  fruin   Uie  soulli-easL. 

I.   Tower  over  the  gateway  where  the  massacre  occurred. 

2.    Site  of  the  ^hlrt\•r.s'  Cemetery. 


H.-,in  Chou.      .Memorial  Service  on  llie  site  of  the   Massacre. 


Persecutions  of  the  Native  Church      189 

themselves."  But  they  were  much  too  afraid  to 
adopt  either  of  these  plans,  and  finally  either 
poisoned  him  or  else  compelled  him  to  commit 
suicide. 

In  a  village  not  far  from  the  city  lived  Tso 
Hung  and  his  family.  On  the  outbreak  of  the 
persecution  they  had  all  to  flee,  and  scattered  in 
various  directions.  His  wife,  mother  (90),  and 
daughter  (10)  hid  in  an  old  graveyard;  but  were 
found  by  the  Boxers,  who  were  going  to  kill  them, 
when  some  friends  rushed  to  the  city  and  in- 
formed the  Men  Shang.  Without  waiting  for  his 
horse,  he  immediately  went  out  on  foot  with  his 
attendants,  rescued  the  three  women,  and  arrested 
the  Boxer  leader.  Unfortunately,  the  little  girl 
had  been  so  injured  by  the  harsh  treatment  she 
received  at  the  hands  of  the  Boxers  that  she  died 
soon  after,  thus  raising  the  martyr  roll  of  Tai 
Chou  to  four. 

Fan  Szu  Hsien  is  a  small  town  130  li  to  the 
north-west  of  Tai  Chou,  and  the  events  which 
happened  there  afford  further  evidence  of  the 
influence  of  local  officials,  and  their  power  either 
to  protect  the  Christians  or  leave  them  to  the 
mercy  of  the  Boxers.  Missionary  work  had  only 
been  carried  on  in  this  town  some  four  or  five 
years — a  missionary  visiting  it,  at  most,  once  a 
year.  There  were  already  quite  a  number  of 
■'  inquirers,"  who,  though  not  baptized,  were 
recognised  by  their  neighbours  as  Christians. 
A  small  house  had  been  rented  as  a  chapel,  and 
an  evangelist  placed  in  charge. 


1 9©  Fire  and  Sword  in  ShansI 

In  consequence  of  the  many  wild  rumours, 
the  evangelist  Chou  Yung  Yao  had  been  advised 
to  leave  and  go  to  his  home ;  but  he  said  he 
had  been  appointed  to  that  station,  and  would 
not  desert  his  post.  As  things  became  more 
threatening,  he  even  sent  in  a  petition  to  the 
magistrate,  saying  that  if  the  Christians  were  in 
fault  he  was  to  blame,  as  he  had  taught  them  the 
doctrine.  He  asked,  therefore,  that  he  might  be 
punished  in  some  way  to  appease  the  anger  of 
the  people,  and  allow  the  others  to  go  unmolested. 
To  this  petition  the  official  gave  no  heed  ;  and 
the  Boxers  evidently  knew  that  they  had  a  free 
hand,  for  the  storm  burst  suddenly  on  the  little 
band  on  Sunday  1st  July,  after  their  service. 
The  mob  first  attacked  the  chapel,  breaking  both 
the  doors  and  windows,  and  then  set  the  place  on 
fire.  They  then  sought  and  caught  the  evan- 
gelist, dragged  him  to  the  main  street,  and  there 
beat  him  until  he  was  unconscious.  Regaining 
consciousness  he  attempted  to  rise,  and  was 
partially  kneeling,  when  one  cried  out,  "  See,  he 
is  praying  even  now.  Drag  him  to  the  fire." 
Immediately  some  of  the  bystanders  caught  hold 
of  him  and  pulled  him  towards  the  burning 
chapel ;  but  he  said :  "  You  need  not  drag  me, 
I  will  go  myself."  He  quietly  walked  to  the 
chapel  and  entered  the  burning  building,  and 
almost  immediately  the  roof  fell  in ;  death  must 
have  been  instantaneous.  But  the  mob  was  not 
satisfied,  and  sought  everywhere  for  the  Christians. 
Kao  Chung  Tang  (44)  was  caught  in  the  street, 


Persecutions  of  the  Native  Church      191 

beaten  till  nearly  dead,  and  then  thrown  on  the 
smouldering  ruins  of  the  chapel.  He  was  still 
conscious,  and  after  a  time  begged  the  bystanders 
to  give  him  some  water.  "Do  you  want  it  hot 
or  cold  ?  "  asked  one  man.  "  See,  I  will  give  you 
some  lukewarm,"  and  then  offered  him  some  filth 
to  drink.  "  Others,"  said  he,  "  would  not  even  give 
you  that."  Among  all  the  crowd  there  was  not 
one  that  took  pity  on  him,  and  the  poor  fellow 
lingered  on  till  the  next  day. 

Hsu  Yen  (36)  and  Li  Chung  (32)  were  both 
at  the  service  on  that  fateful  Sunday,  and  when 
the  riot  began  fled  outside  the  city ;  but  were 
caught,  bound  and  beaten,  brought  back  to  the 
city,  and  thrown  on  the  burning  ruins,  where  they 
perished. 

Not  content  with  what  had  been  done  in  the 
city,  the  Boxers  then  turned  their  attention  to  the 
villages.  The  home  of  Liu  Tzu  Hen  was  one 
of  the  first  to  be  attacked,  and  the  house  was 
destroyed.  All  the  members  of  the  family 
escaped  for  the  time  being,  the  wife  going  to 
her  mother's  home  in  a  village  near  at  hand. 
The  Boxers  of  that  village  hearing  of  her  arrival, 
immediately  sought  her,  and  she  had  to  flee  a 
second  time  and  hide  in  a  field  of  wheat.  There 
she  was  found  and  caught ;  and  it  is  said  she 
was  stripped  of  all  her  clothing  and  bound 
and  taken  to  the  city,  her  captors  beating  her  as 
they  went  along.  Arrived  at  the  city,  she  was 
thrown  on  to  the  smouldering  ruins  of  the  chapel, 
where  she  was  left  by  her  tormentors,  who  soon 


192  Fire  and  Sword  in  Shansi 

afterwards  scattered.  Finding  herself  free,  she 
managed  to  creep  out  of  the  ruins,  and  had 
passed  the  city  gate  and  was  making  her  way 
home,  when  she  was  caught  again  by  the  Boxers, 
brought  back,  and  a  second  time  thrown  on  the 
ruins.  This  time  they  did  not  leave  her ;  and  as 
by  night-time  she  was  not  dead,  they  took  a  cord 
and  strangled  her.  Notwithstanding  all  her  suffer- 
ing, it  is  said  she  remained  steadfast  to  the  end. 

In  another  village  the  house  of  Kao  Lien  Teng 
(50)  was  attacked  and  burned.  He  himself  was 
at  once  arrested  and  taken  to  the  city,  where  he 
was  tried  (!)  by  the  Boxers.  He  was  asked : 
"  Why  did  you  enter  the  Church  ?  "  "  Because  it 
was  good."  "  Why  then  do  you  injure  people  ?  " 
"  I  do  harm  to  no  one,"  he  replied.  "  Well,  if 
you  will  leave  this  foreign  sect  and  worship 
Buddha,  we  will  not  harm  you."  To  this  he 
made  no  reply,  and  they  cried  out :  "  This  man 
is  not  willing  to  repent,  throw  him  into  the  fire." 
He  was  then  dragged  to  the  chapel  and  thrown 
on  the  smouldering  ruins,  and  perished.  His 
wife  fled,  and  managed  to  reach  her  sister's  home ; 
but  was  there  arrested  and  brought  to  the  city. 
She  was  taken  to  the  yamen ;  but  the  official 
would  have  nothing  to  do  with  the  case,  and  she 
too  was  burnt  to  death  in  the  same  place  as  her 
husband.  The  eldest  son  (22)  was  arrested 
while  fleeing,  and  taken  to  his  village  and  burnt 
in  the  ruins  of  his  own  house.  His  wife  (19) 
fled  and  hid  in  a  cave,  but  was  found  and  im- 
mediately   stabbed    through    the    abdomen,    and 


Persecutions  of  the  Native  Church      193 

then  buried  before  she  was  really  dead.  The 
second  son  (14)  fled  from  village  to  village 
pursued  by  the  Boxers,  and  was  eventually  taken 
in  and  protected  by  an  uncle.  He  was  so  much 
frightened,  however,  that  he  was  never  himself 
again,  and  gradually  wasted  away,  and  died  in  a 
few  months.  Thus,  of  this  family  of  seven,  five 
have  laid  down  their  lives  for  the  truth,  and  the 
two  remaining  are  a  girl  of  seven  and  a  boy  of 
four. 

But  this  does  not  complete  the  tale  of  those 
who  lost  their  lives  on  that  dreadful  day,  ist  July. 
Two  brothers,  Yao  Ch'i  Hou  (50)  and  Yao  Ch'i 
Wang  (44),  were  at  the  service  in  the  city,  but 
managed  to  escape  to  their  own  village.  They 
were  immediately  arrested  by  the  local  Boxers, 
their  house  set  on  fire,  and  the  elder  of  the  two 
was  burnt  in  his  own  home.  The  younger  was 
taken  to  the  temple  of  the  god  of  war  in  the  city, 
to  be  tried  before  a  Boxer  tribunal.  It  was  at 
first  decided  that  if  he  would  provide  fifty  swords 
for  the  "  cause  "  he  would  be  allowed  to  go  free ; 
but  thereupon  two  Boxers  kneeled  before  the 
chief  and  begged  that  he  might  be  at  once 
killed,  "  because  he  had  done  much  mischief" 
Their  request  was  granted,  and  he  was  handed 
over  to  their  tender  mercies.  As  he  was  being 
led  along  he  said,  "  This  is  the  happiest  day  of 
my  life."  This  angered  his  persecutors  all  the 
more,  and  as  soon  as  they  reached  the  outside  of 
the  west  gate  they  set  upon  him  with  their  swords 
and  killed  him. 
13 


194  Fire  ^'id  Sword  in  Shansi 

On  that  same  day  Kao  Chung  Tang's  elder 
brother,  Kao  Ye  Chung  (52),  their  mother  (80), 
and  a  boy  of  fifteen  escaped,  and  reached  the 
outside  of  the  city  before  they  were  arrested. 
They  were  taken  to  a  Boxer  chief  at  the  village 
of  Li  Chia  Chwang,  and  he  was  asked  what  was 
to  be  done  to  them.  "  Set  fire  to  the  house  of 
the  Christian  Kao  Lien  Teng,  and  burn  them  in 
it " ;  and  these  orders  were  instantly  carried  out 
to  the  letter. 

Perhaps  the  most  sadly  interesting  case  was 
that  of  Wang  Hsin  (33).  He  was  a  native  of 
Fan  Szu,  and  was  well  known  in  the  city  as 
having  formerly  been  a  gambler,  opium-smoker, 
and,  in  fact,  a  regular  "  blackleg."  The  genuine- 
ness of  his  conversion  was  manifested  by 
a  complete  change  of  life;  and,  though  not 
baptized,  he  was  entrusted  by  the  missionaries 
with  a  few  books  to  sell,  and  thus  became 
equally  well  known  in  all  the  surrounding 
districts  as  a  Christian.  Early  in  July  he  was 
arrested  in  the  village  where  he  happened  to 
be,  searched  to  see  if  he  had  any  poison  on 
him,  and  all  his  books  burnt.  Not  content 
with  this,  his  persecutors  set  upon  him  with 
swords,  wounding  him  seriously.  They  then 
bound  him,  took  him  to  the  city,  and  held  a 
kind  of  trial  in  front  of  the  military  yamen. 
Many  of  the  people  said  to  him :  "  We  know 
you  were  formerly  a  bad  character,  but  have 
now  reformed ;  only  leave  the  foreign  sect,  and 
you  will    not    be  killed."      He    replied :  "  I    have 


Persecutions  of  the  Native  Church 


195 


already  left  the  foreign  sect "  (apparently  referring 
to  Buddhism),  "  and  now  follow  the  heavenly 
doctrine,  reverence  the  Supreme  Ruler  (Shang 
Ti),  believe  in  Jesus,  and  worship  the  true 
God,  How  can  you  say  I  belong  to  a  foreign 
sect  ? "  It  is  said  that  he  spoke  quite  a  long 
time  to  his  persecutors ;  but  the  Boxer  leader 
said :  "  This  man  has  evidently  been  poisoned 
by  the  foreigners ;  what  is  this  he  is  talking 
about  ?  If  we  do  not  kill  him  he  will  certainly 
do  mischief"  He  was  immediately  taken  outside 
the  west  gate  of  the  city,  and  there  killed  in 
a  most  barbarous  manner. 

The  most  pathetic  cases  were  those  of  two 
sisters-in-law,  wives  of  two  brothers  (Sun  Cheng 
and  Sun  Hsiu),  who  with  two  children  were 
both  burned  to  death  in  their  own  house. 
Their  homes  were  attacked  on  the  2nd  July, 
and  all  had  to  flee ;  but  the  two  women,  being 
near  the  time  of  their  confinement,  were  not 
able  to  go  far.  The  wife  of  the  elder  brother 
was  caught  in  a  neighbouring  village,  taken  to 
the  temple,  bound  to  a  tree,  and  then  beaten. 
The  next  day  she  was  taken  back  to  the  temple 
of  her  own  village — her  own  home  being  all 
in  ruins — and  there  gave  birth  to  a  child,  which 
was  immediately  killed  by  the  inhuman  monsters. 
A  mock  trial  was  held,  and  she  was  asked : 
"  What  poison  have  you  about  you  with  which 
to  do  mischief?"  She  bravely  replied:  "We 
have  left  the  false  and  turned  to  the  true,  the 
evil    for    the    good.      How    have    we     done    any 


196  Fire  and  Sword  in  Shansi 

mischief? "  The  leader  of  the  Boxers  yelled 
out :  "  She  is  not  telling  the  truth,  and  will 
not  leave  the  foreign  sect.  She  ought  to  be 
burnt  1 "  At  once  the  part  of  her  own  home 
which  was  not  quite  burnt  was  rekindled,  and 
she  and  a  little  boy  of  six,  who  had  accompanied 
her  all  this  time,  were  driven  into  the  flames  at 
the  point  of  the  sword.  The  wife  of  the  younger 
brother  was  also  caught,  taken  back  to  her  own 
village,  and  tried  (!)  by  the  same  tribunal.  "  Have 
you  scattered  abroad  paper  men  to  injure  the 
people  of  your  village?"  she  was  asked.  She 
replied :  "  It  is  you  who  kill,  burn  houses,  and 
do  mischief,  not  we."  This  made  the  Boxer 
leader  very  angry,  and  he  said :  "  This  woman 
ought  to  be  burnt  to  death " ;  and  she  and  her 
little  boy  of  six  were  both  driven  into  the  flames, 
like  her  sister-in-law. 

One  other  woman,  who  died  from  injuries 
received  while  fleeing  from  her  persecutors,  raises 
the  martyr  roll  of  the  infant  Church  at  Fan  Szu 
to  twenty-two. 

The  magistrate  of  this  place,  having  so  grossly 
neglected  to  protect  the  Christians  within  his 
jurisdiction,  was  greatly  perplexed  and  agitated 
when  the  Germans  took  the  passes  in  April 
1 90 1,  and  immediately  had  the  rubbish  removed 
from  the  site  of  the  burnt  chapel  and  a  blank 
wall  built  along  the  street  front,  to  hide  all 
traces  of  what  had  taken  place.  Subsequently 
he  disappeared,  and,  it  is  said,  quietly  returned 
to  his  own  home. 


Persecutions  of  the  Native  Church      197 

P'ING   YANG    FU    DISTRICT 

Near  P'ing  Yang  Fu,  in  the  south  of  the  pro- 
vince, where  many  Christians  were  killed  and  others 
robbed  of  all  their  possessions,  eighteen  had  a 
cross  cut  on  their  foreheads  with  a  knife,  and 
were  then  kept  under  a  scorching  sun  to  make 
the  scar  permanent.  Later,  these  same  people 
were  taken  to  the  local  official,  who,  to  save  their 
lives  (!),  had  the  men  beaten  on  the  thigh  400  to 
500  strokes  with  a  bamboo  rod,  and  then  put 
them  in  prison  for  several  weeks.  The  women 
were  beaten  on  the  hands  an  equal  number  of 
strokes,  so  that  in  some  cases  their  hands  were 
ruined. 

So  high  did  the  anti-foreign  feeling  run  in  this 
district,  that  the  mob,  doubtless  desiring  to  make 
an  example  of  those  who  had  assisted  foreigners 
in  any  way,  fell  upon  and  murdered  an  old  man 
named  P'eng,  who  had  rented  and  afterwards  sold 
a  house  to  the  foreigners.  This  is  all  the  more 
significant,  as  this  man  was  a  thorough  heathen,  and 
had  shown  no  interest  whatever  in  the  teachings 
of  the  missionaries.  A  man  named  Yen  and  his 
wife  were  natives  of  Chi  Chou — the  station  occu- 
pied by  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Young.  Being  well  known 
as  Christians,  they  were  taken  by  the  Boxers  and 
first  hung  up  to  a  beam  in  a  temple  by  their 
hands,  which  had  been  bound  behind  their  backs. 
While  in  this  exceedingly  painful  position  they 
were  beaten  with  rods,  and  then  a  slow  fire  was 
lit  under  them,  just  sufficient  to  scorch  but  not 


198  Fire  and  Sword  in  Shansi 

to  burn  them.  After  undergoing  this  torture  for 
a  time,  the  wife  was  set  free  ;  but  the  husband 
was  bound  and  put  into  a  circle  of  fire,  which  was 
large  enough  to  prevent  a  speedy  death.  The 
poor  man  endured  the  agony  as  long  as  he  could, 
and  then,  wishing  speedily  to  terminate  his  life, 
managed  to  throw  himself  over  into  the  flames. 
The  Boxers  thereupon  heaped  cinders  over  him, 
until  a  soldier  standing  by,  indignant  at  the  sight 
of  such  revolting  cruelty,  cursed  the  inhuman 
Boxers  to  their  face,  who  at  once  set  upon  him 
and  cut  him  to  pieces.  This  enraged  other 
soldiers,  who  rushed  upon  the  Boxers  and  drove 
them  off.  They  then  removed  the  poor  man 
from  the  fire,  and,  finding  him  still  alive,  took  him 
to  the  yamen,  where  he  was  put  in  a  dark  prison 
without  the  least  comfort.  For  a  time  his  poor 
wife  begged  her  food  where  she  could ;  but  when 
the  Boxers  were  suppressed  they  were  eventually 
reunited,  and  are  both  living  to  testify  that  the 
grace  of  God  is  "  sufficient." 

When  such  atrocities  were  being  committed,  it 
is  little  wonder  that  some  recanted ;  but,  on  the 
other  hand,  the  history  of  those  who  suffered  death 
rather  than  deny  their  Lord  will  be  an  invaluable 
legacy,  not  only  to  the  Church  in  China  but 
throughout  the  world. 

One  other  case  may  be  cited.  A  Christian 
was  offered  his  life  if  he  would  but  burn  incense 
to  the  idols  in  the  village  temple.  Life  was  dear 
to  him,  and  it  appeared  a  very  simple  thing  to  do. 
He  took   the   incense   in   his    hand,   entered    the 


Persecutions  of  the  Native  Church      199 

temple,  but,  when  he  saw  the  hideous  idols  he 
had  renounced,  threw  the  incense  on  the  ground, 
saying,  "  I  can't !  "  Immediately  he  was  taken  out 
and  suffered  the  death  penalty. 


THE  STORY  OF  THE  T  AI  YUAN   FU  SCHOOLGIRLS 

It  has  already  been  mentioned  that,  when  the 
hospital  was  burnt  on  27th  June,  eleven  school- 
girls were  with  the  missionaries.  Though  scat- 
tered at  the  time  and  sold,  some  of  them  to 
slavery  and  worse,  they  were  all  subsequently 
recovered  at  our  request  and  by  the  order  of  the 
late  Plenipotentiary,  Li  Hung  Chang.  Those  who 
had  friends  living  were  returned  to  their  homes, 
while  those  who  had  no  relatives  were  placed  in 
the  care  of  the  Christian  photographer  and  his 
family.  Some  we  met  on  our  return  to  T'ai 
Yiian  Fu,  and  from  their  own  lips  obtained  the 
stories  of  their  sufferings.  When  we  left  Shansi 
in  November  1901,  as  no  Protestant  lady  had 
returned  to  the  province  to  reopen  a  school, 
seven  of  the  girls  were  taken  to  Peking  and 
placed  in  the  school  of  the  American  Board 
Mission. 

PU  t'ao 

By  Miss  M.  E.  Shekleton 

"  I  well  remember  my  first  visit  to  the  lovely 
hill  village  of  Chen  Chih  Po,  the  donkey  ride  up 
the   picturesque  mountain   paths,  and    the   warm 


200  Fire  and  Sword  in  Shansi 

welcome  and  loving  hospitality  at  the  end  of  the 
journey.  Chang,  the  head  of  the  household,  who 
had  been  for  some  years  a  Christian,  was  a  rugged, 
bearded  man,  staunch  and  faithful,  and  a  most 
devoted  father.  He  had  taught  his  pretty, 
gentle  wife  to  read  her  Bible  in  the  difficult 
hieroglyphics  of  the  country,  and  they  longed 
above  all  things  that  their  two  dearly  loved  and 
petted  daughters  should  become  Christians  also. 
On  Sunday,  when  the  weather  permitted,  he 
would  walk  lo  miles  to  the  nearest  place  of 
Christian  worship,  often  leading  his  donkey  with 
wife  and  baby  or  his  daughters  enthroned  on 
its  back. 

"  It  was  there  we  first  met  Chang,  and  there  I 
learned  to  know  and  love  his  wife — that  sweet 
gentle  woman,  as  refined  in  her  way  as  any 
English  lady.  What  a  pleasure  it  was  to  hear 
her  tell  the  gospel  to  her  heathen  country-women, 
so  clearly  and  pointedly,  so  graphically  and  ear- 
nestly ;  but  it  was  best  of  all  to  hear  her  pray 
with  the  children  gathered  round  her — Tao  Nu 
and  Pu  T'ao,  and  the  baby  boy  who  lisped  after 
her  the  sacred  words.  We  spent  a  day  and  night 
in  the  little  home ;  such  a  happy  home  it  was — 
poor  enough,  for  Chang  was  only  a  small  farmer, 
but  so  clean  and  bright  and  peaceful.  But  how 
lonely !  Not  a  neighbour  would  cross  the 
Christian  threshold.  Certainly,  the  little  family 
needed  all  the  love  and  brightness  they  could 
muster  among  themselves,  for  they  were  shunned 
as    though    plague  -  stricken :    not    more    isolated 


Persecutions  of  the  Native  Church     201 

from  human  sympathy  and  help  could  they  have 
been  had  they  lived  in  the  Sahara. 

"  Pu  T'ao,  the  younger  daughter,  was  the  pet  of 
the  family ;  outwardly  a  tomboy  and  a  romp,  but 
at  heart  the  most  sensitive  and  loving  of  children. 
Utterly  devoted  to  her  father  and  mother,  she  was 
proud,  as  elder  sisters  will  be,  of  the  delicate  baby 
boy  who  ruled  king  of  the  little  household,  just  as 
English  babies  are  wont  to  do ;  indeed,  one  object 
of  my  visit  was  to  see  the  wonderful  baby,  and 
a  proud  girl  was  Pu  T'ao  as  she  brought  the 
treasure  to  be  duly  admired  and  petted. 

"  Mr.  Chang  was  anxious  that  Pu  T'ao  should 
come  to  the  Mission  school  in  T'ai  Yiian  Fu,  one 
day's  journey  from  their  home,  for  he  was  too 
enlightened  a  man  to  think  that  girls  should  be 
neglected,  as  the  custom  of  the  country  is  ;  and  for 
years  Pu  T'ao  made  one  of  our  happy  band  of 
schoolgirls.  Enjoying  the  school  life  thoroughly, 
the  child  was  always  eager  for  the  home-going  to 
the  beloved  father  and  mother.  When  the  last 
holidays  came,  and  the  last  home-going  before  the 
trouble,  Pu  T'ao  gave  her  father  the  joy  he  had 
so  longed  for,  and  confessed  herself  a  disciple  of 
Christ.  How  little  we  all  knew  what  the  future 
had  in  store  !  " 

We  will  now  allow  Pu  T'ao  to  complete  her 
own  story. 

"  Last  year,  on  27th  June,  when  the  mob  began 
to  attack  the  Mission  buildings,  we  schoolgirls 
were  all  taken  over  to  Dr.  Lovitt's  court,  where 
we  found  all   the  missionaries  assembled.      There 


202  Fire  and  Sword  in  Shansi 

were  only  eleven  scholars,  as  that  very  morning 
those  girls  who  had  friends  in  the  city  had  been 
sent  to  their  homes — not  because  there  was  any 
fear  of  a  riot,  but  because  the  school  was  breaking 
up  for  the  summer  holidays.  The  crowd  gradually 
set  fire  to  all  the  houses,  and  we  then  had  to  retreat 
to  Dr.  Lovitt's  kitchen.  We  could  not  stay  there 
long,  as  the  neighbours,  fearing  their  own  house 
would  be  set  on  fire,  began  to  pull  the  building 
down.  There  was  nothing  to  be  done  but  to 
attempt  to  escape,  and  we  children  followed  the 
missionaries  as  they  left  the  compound.  Soon 
after  passing  the  outer  gate  I  lost  sight  of  the 
foreigners,  as  it  was  quite  dark,  and  there  was 
much  commotion,  and  the  people  were  pelting  us 
with  brickbats.  I  managed  to  get  past  the  crowd, 
and  soon  found  four  other  of  the  schoolgirls  who 
had  missed  the  foreigners.  These  were  Hai 
Chiien,  Hai  Kw'ei,  San  San,  and  Nai  Nii. 

"  VVe  walked  on,  not  knowing  where  to  go  or 
what  to  do,  when  we  saw  a  black  dog  just  in 
front  of  us  which  seemed  to  be  leading  us  some- 
where. If  we  stopped  to  talk  together  and  consult 
as  to  which  way  we  should  go  the  dog  would  also 
stop,  and  when  we  went  on  he  continued  to  lead 
us.  At  last  we  found  ourselves  at  what  we  knew 
was  the  big  south  gate,  and  then  we  suddenly  lost 
sight  of  our  dog.  We  then  scrambled  up  on  to 
the  city  wall  and  hid  ourselves  in  the  big  tower 
which  is  over  the  gate.  Soon  we  heard  some  men 
coming  along,  and  knew  by  their  talk  they  were 
soldiers  who  were    watching   the  wall.     One    of 


Persecutions  of  the  Native  Church     203 

them  peered  into  our  hiding-place  and  said, '  There 
are  some  people  here  ;  bring  a  sword.'  They  then 
asked  us,  *  Are  there  any  foreigners  here  ? ' 
*  Have  you  any  guns  ?  '  We  answered,  '  No,  we 
are  only  a  few  children — scholars.'  '  Come  out 
then  and  let  us  see  who  you  are.'  We  went  out, 
and,  after  answering  all  their  questions,  they  said 
they  would  let  us  down  by  a  big  rope  over  the 
wall,  and  take  us  to  a  Christian  woman  who  lived  in 
the  south  suburb.  Not  knowing  what  their  mean- 
ing might  be,  we  said  we  would  not  go,  and  after 
some  more  talking  they  took  us  to  their  officer,  who 
lived  near  the  gate.  By  this  time  it  was  getting 
light,  and  soon  after  this  officer  took  us  to  the 
yamen  of  the  Sub-Prefect  (Hsien).  This  official 
asked  us  each  where  we  came  from,  whether  we 
had  father  and  mother,  and  many  other  questions 
about  our  family.  Then  we  were  sent  to  the 
Governor's  yamen,  where  we  were  questioned  again 
by  one  of  the  secretaries.  He  sent  us  back  to 
the  Sub-Prefect's  yamen,  where  we  were  made  to 
sit  all  day  in  the  open  courtyard.  A  great  many 
people  came  to  stare  at  us  and  ask  questions.  In 
the  evening  we  were  allowed  to  go  into  the  court 
occupied  by  the  female  servants  of  the  Mandarin's 
family,  and  there  we  remained  till  6th  August. 

"  During  that  time  the  Mandarin's  wife  and 
daughters  took  little  notice  of  us,  and  only  the 
slave  girls  spoke  to  us.  They  had  many  questions 
to  ask  about  the  foreigners,  and  wanted  to  know 
if  it  was  really  true  that  they  took  out  the  eyes, 
hearts,  and  tongues  of  people.     Of  course  we  said 


204  Fire  and  Sword  in  Shansi 

it  was  not,  but  I  don't  think  they  believed  us. 
While  in  the  yamen  we  were  not  treated  harshly ; 
only,  we  were  not  allowed  to  stay  in  the  rooms 
during  the  day,  but  had  to  sit  out  in  the  open 
courtyard.  One  day  San  San's  father  came,  and, 
after  seeing  the  magistrate,  was  allowed  to  take 
her  home.  As  the  rest  of  us  all  came  from  Shou 
Yang  Hsien  we  were  sent  back  with  the  magis- 
trate of  that  place  on  6th  August,  and  stayed 
in  his  yamen  til!  our  friends  came  for  us.  Nai 
Nil  was  the  first  to  go  to  her  home,  but  I  and 
Hai  Chiien  and  Hai  Kw'ei  did  not  go  till  4th 
September,  when  my  uncle  came  to  fetch  me.  On 
reaching  what  used  to  be  my  home  I  found  it  all 
desolate,  as  my  father  and  mother  had  both  been 
killed,  as  also  my  elder  sister  and  her  husband, 
and  my  little  baby  brother.  I  was  glad  to  find 
two  of  my  brothers,  aged  seven  and  nine,  still  living. 
They  too  had  been  caught  by  the  Boxers  and 
taken  to  Shou  Yang  Hsien,  but  were  not  killed, 
as  they  were  only  children.  An  opium-smoking 
uncle  had  taken  charge  of  them ;  and  as  my  own 
home  was  utterly  desolate,  having  been  both 
pillaged  and  burnt,  I  too  went  to  live  at  his 
house. 

"  Some  months  after,  without  consulting  me  at 
all,  I  found  he  had  betrothed  me  to  a  man  thirty- 
seven  years  old  whom  I  had  never  seen,  for  which 
of  course  he  had  received  a  sum  of  money.  I  was 
in  great  distress  when  I  heard  of  this,  and  made 
many  plans  to  get  out  of  my  trouble ;  but  none  of 
them  seemed  feasible.     At  last  I  wrote  a  letter  to 


Persecutions  of  the  Native  Church     205 

the  Christian  photographer  in  T'ai  YUan  Fu,  and 
got  a  lad  to  take  it  for  me  for  a  few  hundred  cash. 
He  kindly  took  up  my  case,  and,  by  refunding  the 
money  that  had  been  paid,  was  able  to  break  off 
the  engagement.  Then  came  the  telegram  from 
Li  Hung  Chang  saying  that  former  schoolgirls 
were  to  be  handed  over  to  the  photographer,  and 
I  returned  to  this  city  on  1 6th  March,  since  which 
I  have  lived  with  his  sister,  who  is  a  widow.  I 
am  looking  forward  with  great  pleasure  to  going 
to  school  in  Peking." 

We  are  glad  to  be  able  to  supplement  Pu 
T'ao's  story  by  saying  that  her  two  brothers 
were  also  recovered,  and  are  now  in  a  Christian 
school  in  T'ai  Yiian  Fu. 


CHIA    LOH 

"  My  own  home  is  far  away  among  the  moun- 
tains in  the  north-west  of  this  province,  at  a  place 
called  Ning  Wu  Fu.  When  quite  young  I  was 
brought  to  Shou  Yang  Hsien  to  be  betrothed  to 
the  son  of  a  friend  of  my  father  named  Ts'ai. 
When  he  became  a  Christian  he  sent  me  to  the 
school  at  T'ai  Yiian  Fu,  and  I  was  there  four 
years.  During  the  trouble  of  last  year  he  was 
hunted  by  the  Boxers  and  killed,  and  his  wife 
was  buried  alive.  They  were  going  to  kill  their 
son — my  intended  husband — when  a  military 
official  who  was  standing  by  pleaded  for  his  life, 
and  said  he  would  adopt  him  as  his  son. 


2o6  Fire  and  Sword  in  Shansi 

"  I  was  in  the  school  until  27th  June  of  last 
year,  and  when  on  the  night  of  that  day  the 
missionaries  had  to  flee  I  followed  them  out  and 
kept  close  to  Mr.  Stokes.  Only  two  other  girls 
(Ch'eo  Niu  and  Pao  Chu)  besides  myself  were 
with  the  foreigners  when  we  arrived  at  Mr. 
Farthing's  house ;  and  where  the  other  eight  and 
Miss  Coombs  had  gone  we  did  not  then  know. 
The  next  day  (28th)  Mrs.  Stokes  asked  a  woman 
named  Shih  to  take  charge  of  us  three,  as  she 
thought  that  would  be  the  safest  plan  for  us. 
This  woman  Shih  did  not  take  us  to  her  own 
home,  but  to  the  house  of  a  man  named  Wu. 
He  was  afraid  to  keep  us,  so  after  breakfast  we 
went  and  hid  in  a  ditch  not  far  away,  where  we 
remained  all  day,  returning  at  night  to  his  house. 

"  As  everyone  was  afraid  to  have  anything  to 
do  with  those  who  had  been  connected  with 
foreigners,  the  next  day  we  went  to  a  deserted 
theatre  stage  in  a  lonely  part  of  the  city,  where 
we  remained  about  a  fortnight.  During  this  time 
the  husband  of  the  woman  Shih  occasionally 
brought  us  some  food ;  and  when  no  one  was 
about  we  would  creep  out  and  eat  the  herbs 
and  grass.  Our  hiding  -  place  was  then  dis- 
covered by  some  soldiers,  and  they  took  us  to 
the  home  of  one  of  them  in  the  city.  After  a 
few  days  Ch'eo  Niu  and  Pao  Chu  were  taken  by 
some  of  the  soldiers  somewhere  outside  the  city, 
but  how  long  they  remained  there  I  do  not 
know.  Sometime  after  they  were  taken  back  to  the 
house  of  the  woman   Shih,  where  they  were  when 


Mission  House,  Hospital  Compound,  T'ai  Yuan  Fu. 
^Ir  and  Mrs  LunI)i;rex  (martyred   I5lh  August   1900)  in  doorway. 


Ruins  of  above.      As  the  Mission    House  is  now. 


Persecutions  of  the  Native  Church     207 

the  telegram  came  from  Peking  for  our  release. 
Pao  Chu  is  now  married,  and  Ch'eo  Niu  has  gone 
to  her  uncle's  home.  I  myself  remained  in  the 
soldier's  home  for  three  months,  and  was  then 
sold  for  40,000  cash  to  a  family  living  about  20 
miles  from  the  city  to  be  the  wife  of  the  son,  who 
was  twenty  years  old.  I  was  only  there  three 
months  when  the  telegram  came  from  Peking, 
and  I  was  sent  to  the  home  of  the  Christian 
photographer." 

Chia  Loh's  betrothed  having  given  up  all 
claim  to  her,  she  is  now  married  into  a  Christian 
family. 

AI    T'AO 

"  I  am  seventeen  years  old,  and  belong  to  Shou 
Yang  Hsien.  When  I  was  quite  young  I  was 
betrothed  to  the  son  of  Wang  Keh  Ih,  who 
when  he  became  a  Christian  sent  me  to  the  school 
at  T'ai  Yiian  Fu,  where  I  was  for  two  years. 

"  When  the  missionaries  fled  from  the  burn- 
ing buildings  last  year,  I  and  another  schoolgirl 
named  Fu  Jung  could  not  go  as  quickly  as  the 
others,  and  Miss  Coombs  came  back  to  help  us. 
Before  we  had  gone  far,  the  people  began  to  pelt 
us  with  stones  and  beat  us  with  sticks.  We  both 
stumbled  and  fell,  and  then  Miss  Coombs  covered 
me  with  her  body  as  well  as  she  could,  and  said, 
*  Don't  fear ;  we  shall  soon  be  in  heaven,  where 
we  shall  meet  again.'  She  was  dragged  away 
from  me,  and  at  the  time  I   did  not  know  what 


2o8  Fire  and  Sword  in  Shansi 

became  of  her,  but  heard  afterwards  she  was 
pushed  into  the  fire  and  burnt  to  death.  I  think 
I  should  have  been  stoned  to  death  had  not  a 
man  dragged  me  through  the  crowd  and  taken 
me  to  his  home. 

"  I  was  there  till  17th  September,  when  he  sold 
me  to  be  a  slave  girl  in  the  family  of  a  well-to-do 
man  named  Hwang.  There  the  lady  of  the 
house  treated  me  very  badly.  When  I  entered 
the  school  at  T'ai  Yiian  Fu  my  feet  were  unbound, 
but  she  made  me  bind  them  again.  She  would 
beat  me  for  nothing  at  all  with  anything  within 
her  reach ;  and  when  she  could  not  beat  me  hard 
enough  would  call  for  her  son,  about  1 2  years  old, 
to  come  and  help  her.  Sometimes  when  beating 
me  they  would  stuff  cotton-wool  into  my  mouth 
to  prevent  my  crying.  I  was  only  there  about 
two  months  when  they  sold  me  to  a  lady  named 
Sheng,  who  was  a  great  opium  smoker.  She  too 
treated  me  very  harshly,  making  me  stand  by  her 
bedside  all  night  to  wait  on  her  while  she 
smoked  her  opium.  She  kept  a  horsewhip  near 
her  with  which  to  beat  me  if  I  fell  asleep.  When 
it  was  nearly  daylight  she  would  say,  '  Now  you 
can  go  and  sleep.'  But,  very  soon  after,  I  would 
have  to  get  up  to  sweep  the  rooms.  When  the 
telegram  came  from  Peking  for  my  release  she 
was  most  unwilling  to  let  me  go,  saying  she 
would  rather  beat  me  to  death.  It  was  only 
when  the  yamen-runners  who  were  sent  for  me 
promised  that  she  should  be  refunded  what  she 
had  paid  for  me  that  she  allowed  me  to  go." 


Persecutions  of  the  Native  Church     209 

Ai  T'ao's  prospective  father-in-law  was  con- 
verted while  in  hospital  at  T'ai  Yiian  Fu,  and  on 
his  return  home  gave  ample  evidence  of  true 
change  of  heart.  When  the  Boxers  broke  out 
he  was  one  of  the  marked  men  ;  and,  hearing 
they  were  approaching  his  house  to  arrest  him, 
he  and  his  wife  fled  and  jumped  into  the  village 
pond  to  escape  torture.  The  wife  was  pulled 
out  by  some  friends  and  saved,  but  the  husband 
was  drowned.  The  son  managed  to  escape,  and 
is  now  apprenticed  to  a  carpenter,  and  probably 
married  to  Ai  T'ao. 


FUH    JUNG 

"  I  am  now  twelve  years  old,  and  my  father's 
home  is  in  Tai  Yiian  Hsien.  Last  winter  I  was 
betrothed  to  a  man  who  was  an  assistant  to  the 
Christian  photographer.  He  was  anxious  I  should 
attend  the  Mission  school,  but  it  was  not  until 
last  April  that  I  was  able  to  go.  I  was  only 
there  about  three  months  when  the  trouble  broke 
out  and  we  all  had  to  flee.  When  the  missionaries 
left  the  compound  I  was  afraid  to  pass  the  fire 
that  was  burning  at  the  gate,  and  Miss  Coombs 
came  back  for  me  and  carried  me  out,  leaving  me 
while  she  went  back  for  Ai  T'ao,  who  could  not 
walk  very  well.  Ai  T'ao  was  much  heavier  than 
I  was,  so  Miss  Coombs  could  not  carry  her  very 
far,  and  as  they  were  walking  to  where  I  was 
waiting  I  saw  them  both  stumble  and  fall.  Upon 
this,  a  man  who  was  standing  near  struck  Miss 
14 


2IO  Fire  and  Sword  in  Shansi 

Coombs  with  a  stick,  while  others  pelted  her  with 
brickbats.  She  tried  to  shield  Ai  T'ao  with  her 
own  body,  but  some  men  pulled  her  away,  and  to 
my  horror  I  saw  them  push  Miss  Coombs  into  a 
pile  of  burning  ruins.  Several  times  she  managed 
to  escape,  and  appeared  to  be  asking  the  men  not 
to  kill  her.  But  she  was  pushed  back  again  and 
again,  and  at  last  they  threw  pieces  of  broken 
doors  and  other  things  on  her  to  prevent  her 
escape. 

"  Soon  afterwards  a  man  found  me  where  I  was 
crouching,  and  took  me  to  his  home.  He  first 
meant  to  sell  me  as  a  slave  girl,  and  several 
women  who  act  as  dealers,  or  go-betweens,  to 
obtain  slaves  for  well-to-do  people,  came  to  see 
me.  Fortunately  for  me,  in  the  outer  court  of 
the  house  where  I  was  living  was  an  old  man  of 
sixty  and  his  wife  of  forty-eight,  who  had  no 
children,  and  they  took  a  fancy  to  me.  Eventually 
they  offered  to  adopt  me,  and  promised  the  man 
who  had  taken  possession  of  me  15,000  cash. 
To  this  he  agreed,  and  I  then  went  to  live  with 
them.  They  were  always  kind  to  me,  except 
that  they  made  me  re-bind  my  feet,  which  I  had 
unbound  when  I  went  to  the  Mission  school. 

"  When  the  telegram  came  from  Peking  for  all 
schoolgirls  that  could  be  found  to  be  handed  over 
to  the  Christian  photographer,  I  was  given  up  by 
my  foster  father  and  mother.  I  then  met  my 
betrothed,  and,  on  telling  him  how  well  I  had  been 
treated,  he  was  quite  willing  I  should  return  to 
them    until    some    other    arrangement    could   be 


Persecutions  of  the  Native  Church     2  1 1 

made  or  it  was  time  for  me  to  be  married.  If 
school  is  opened  again  in  T'ai  Ylian  Fu  I  should 
very  much  like  to  attend  it." 

As  Fuh  Jung  and  her  betrothed  were  both 
anxious  that  she  should  continue  her  education, 
she  formed  one  of  the  party  of  seven  girls  who 
were  placed  in  a  Mission  school  at  Peking. 


The  first  (of  the  Eleven)  to  see  the  Master  on  the  other  side  was 
St.  James  ;  and  if  we  questioned  him  he  would  doubtless  declare 
he  was  not  able  to  distinguish  between  the  flash  of  the  soldier's 
sword  from  the  light  of  Jesus'  garments. — Dr.  John  Watson 
{The  Upper  Room). 

I  do  not  regret  coming  to  China,  but  I  am  sorry  I  have  done  so 
little. — Mrs.  Atwater. 

If  you  never  see  me  again,  remember  I  am  not  sorry  I  have  come 
to  China,  Whether  I  have  saved  anyone  or  not,  He  knows  ;  but  it 
has  been  for  Him,  and  we  go  to  Him.  Darling  ones — good-bye. — 
RowENA  Bird. 

After  all,  it  is  not  death  which  to  us  is  sad,  for  it  is  God's 
present  way  for  us  into  life ;  and  we  dare  not  say  suffering  is 
wholly  sad  either — not  those  of  us  who  know  some  of  the  blessed 
things  that  have  been  taught  us  by  suffering,  which  we  prize  too 
much  to  wish  that  we  had  never  been  taught. — Edith  Anna 
Coombs  (in  one  of  her  last  letters). 

If  the  Lord  bids  us,  we  will  cheerfully  lay  down  our  lives  for  His 
sake.  ...  If  we  are  all  killed  and  not  one  escape,  there  are  many 
more  that  will  be  certain  to  take  our  place. — Herbert  Dixon. 

I  do  not  know  whether  this  (the  report  that  all  foreigners  were  to 
be  killed)  is  true  or  not ;  but,  Dixon,  if  it  is  true,  I  am  ready,  and 
do  not  fear;  if  such  be  God's  will,  I  can  even  rejoice  to  die. — 
George  B.  Farthing. 

We  are  ready. — Arnold  E.  Lovitt. 

We  leave  it  as  a  testimony  to  all  who  are  wavering,  who  doubt, 
who  deny — the  grace  of  God  IS  sufficient. — Mrs.  C.  W.  Price. 


SIS 


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U      1-      I-      J_      1-     l_     i^ 


CHAPTER   V 

Memorials  and  Last  Letters 

miss  edith  anna  coombs 

EDITH  ANNA  COOMBS  (born  in  Edin- 
burgh, 1862)  had  a  remarkably  happy  child- 
hood. Her  parents  had  full  faith  in  the  power  of 
gentleness  combined  with  firmness,  and  no  angry 
words  were  ever  spoken  to  her  or  in  her  hearing. 
Punishment  was  unneeded,  for  her  conduct  was 
uniformly  all  her  parents  could  desire.  She 
seemed  "  sanctified  from  her  birth  "  ;  and  as  intelli- 
gence dawned,  and  the  knowledge  of  the  love  of 
Jesus  was  acquired,  responsive  love  was  kindled, 
and  that  love  was  ever  growing  to  the  very  end. 

At  the  age  of  ten  she  entered  the  primary 
school  of  Neuchatel ;  and,  though  her  knowledge 
of  French  was  then  but  slight,  she  gained  a 
prize  in  her  first  year.  She  entered  Somerville 
Hall,  Oxford,  when  about  nineteen,  and  remained 
there  four  years,  graduating  in  literature.  Her 
first  application  for  a  post  as  teacher  was  to 
the  Edgbaston  High  School ;  and,  although  of 
those  applicants  who  were  regarded  as  specially 
eligible  she  alone  was  without  experience  in  class 


214  Fire  and  Sword  in  Shansi 

teaching,  her  testimonials  were  so  excellent  that 
she  became  the  unanimous  choice  of  the  com- 
mittee. Her  colleagues  in  the  school  testified 
to  her  aptitude  for  acquiring  and  skill  in  impart- 
ing knowledge,  and  very  specially  to  the  great 
influence  for  good  which  she  ever  exerted  upon 
all  with  whom  she  came  in  contact.  One  of 
them  said :  "  She  knows  more  about  the  girls 
than  all  the  rest  of  the  staff  put  together,  for  they 
tell  her  everything,  sure  of  ready  sympathy.  I 
worked  with  her  nearly  six  years,  and  never  saw 
her  otherwise  than  sweet,  bright,  and  helpful." 
Those  who  worked  with  her  in  China  could  all 
bear  the  same  testimony. 

Dr.  Dale's  stimulating  teaching  and  influence 
did  much  to  fan  the  flame  of  her  Christian  zeal, 
and  to  deepen  her  desire  to  "  spend  and  be  spent 
for  Jesus  Christ."  His  successor,  Mr.  Jowett, 
wrote :  "  She  was  ever  pre-eminently  helpful  in 
all  the  more  distinctively  spiritual  work  at  Carr's 
Lane.  I  do  not  know  any  interest  which  has  not 
sought  and  found  her  support,  and  her  influence 
upon  the  susceptible  minds  of  the  thoughtful 
members  of  our  young  people's  societies  had  been 
very  deep." 

Strong  and  varied  though  the  ties  were  that 
bound  her  to  home,  the  desire  to  make  known 
the  light  of  the  gospel  to  those  who  were  sitting 
in  darkness  and  the  shadow  of  death  was  stronger 
still,  and  in  1898  she  joined  the  Shou  Yang 
Mission,  and  began  work  in  T'ai  Yiian  Fu.  Her 
letters  home   were   always   full  of  joy   and   hope. 


Memorials  and  Last  Letters  2 1  5 

Difficulties  and  trials  were  only  hinted  at.  In 
the  last  letter  received  by  her  father  she  wrote  of 
her  pupils :  "  Some  of  them  are  learning  to  be 
guided  by  a  look.  It  teaches  me  a  great  deal 
to  see  this,"  But  she  had  had  to  go  through  a 
great  amount  of  patient,  uninteresting  toil  before 
that. 

To  one  whose  life  at  home  had  been  so  full 
of  interest  and  variety,  given  up  to  happy  active 
service  for  Christ,  it  was  a  great  and  trying 
change  to  settle  down  to  the  monotony  of  an 
inland  mission  station,  with  many  hours'  daily 
drudgery  at  a  difficult  language.  She  was, 
however,  so  bright  and  merry  and  full  of  life, 
that  few  could  have  guessed  the  loneliness  she 
sometimes  felt.  She  longed  intensely  for  the 
time  when  her  lips  would  be  unsealed  to  tell  in 
Chinese  the  unsearchable  riches  of  Christ,  but 
in  the  waiting  time  her  loving,  unselfish  service 
to  others  cannot  have  been  without  its  result. 
Wherever  there  was  a  little  child  to  tend,  or 
someone  lonely  or  in  sorrow,  she  was  there  to  help 
and  comfort.  That  winter  she  took  over  the 
full  charge  of  the  Mission  girls'  school.  As 
soon  as  she  was  able,  she  organised  a  branch 
of  the  Christian  Endeavour  Society  amongst  the 
girls  and  women,  and  her  great  delight  was  to 
gather  the  elder  Christian  girls  in  her  little  room 
for  an  hour  of  prayer  and  quiet  chat  about  the 
work,^ 

Edith  Coombs'  last  act  was  a  bright  example 

"^  All  Natio7is. 


2  1 6  Fire  and   Sword  in  Shansi 

of  Christian  endeavour.  When  the  Mission 
premises  of  which  the  school  formed  a  part  were 
attacked,  her  first  care  was  for  her  Httle  scholars. 
House  after  house  on  the  compound  was  burnt, 
and  at  last  the  missionaries  determined  to  make 
an  effort  to  escape.  On  reaching  the  street  Miss 
Coombs  found  that  two  of  her  little  scholars  had 
been  left  behind,  and  in  the  dark  and  excitement 
(for  the  street  was  filled  with  an  angry  mob)  her 
companions  did  not  miss  her,  as  she  went  back 
alone  to  try  and  save  the  little  girls.  One  was 
found  and  put  in  a  place  of  safety.  She  went 
back  for  the  other,  found  and  brought  her  out 
on  to  the  street,  when  a  false  step,  causing  her 
to  stumble,  was  the  signal  for  the  angry  crowd 
to  begin  to  pelt  them  with  stones.  Vainly  she 
attempted  to  protect  her  little  charge  with  her 
own  body ;  then  they  were  rudely  separated, 
and  Miss  Coombs  was  thrust  once,  twice,  thrice 
into  the  flames  as  she  endeavoured  to  escape. 
Thus  she  became  the  first  Christian  martyr  of 
Shansi,  and  27th  June  will  ever  be  a  memorable 
day  —  a  real  Saint's  Day  —  in  the  annals  of 
missionary  work  in  that  province.  She  knew 
how  "  to  suffer  and  be  strong,"  and  could  say — 

"  Christ  leads  me  through  no  darker  room 
Than  He  went  through  before." 

The  following  notice  of  her  appeared  in  Laurel 
Leaves  (the  Journal  of  the  Edgbaston  High 
School  for  Girls),  and  is  inserted  by  the  courtesy 
of  the  editor  : — 


Memorials  and  Last  Letters  2 1 7 

**  The  recent  events  in  China  have  awakened 
in  the  hearts  of  very  many  of  the  scholars, 
mistresses,  and  friends  of  this  school  a  much 
deeper  feeling  than  that  of  passive  interest  or 
faint  sympathy,  which  is  so  apt  to  be  the  only 
effect  of  news  of  great  trouble  in  far-off  and 
unfamiliar  lands,  for  they  have  cost  us  the  life 
of  one  whom  we  have  known  and  loved. 

"  Only  three  short  years  have  passed  since  Miss 
Coombs  left  us,  and  those  who  were  privileged  to 
know  her  during  her  eight  years  of  work  in  our 
school  feel  that  they  have  never  met  with  a 
brighter  and  braver  spirit  than  hers.  To  think 
of  her  is  to  think  of  sunshine ;  and  though  this 
impression  may  have  been  partly  the  effect  of  her 
sunny  hair  and  bright  eyes,  it  is  far  more  due  to 
the  sunny  brightness  of  her  nature.  She  was 
always  cheerful,  always  abounding  in  ready 
helpfulness  and  love.  Her  constant  sympathy 
made  her  the  natural  friend  and  comforter  of  all 
who  were  in  trouble,  and  all  who  had  cause  for 
joy  found  their  gladness  reflected  in  her  responsive 
smiles.  It  was  thus  that  to  her  especially,  as  she 
sat  in  her  form  in  the  morning  before  school,  or 
in  the  hall  collecting  the  dinner  money,  all  sorts 
of  home  and  personal  news,  joys,  sorrows  and 
cares,  hopes  and  ambitions,  were  confided. 

"  Yet,  though  she  gave  herself  so  fully  to  this 
school  and  all  its  interests,  her  great  quickness  of 
intelligence  and  physical  health  enabled  her  to 
spare  time  and  thought  for  many  who  were  not 
her  pupils  and  colleagues  here.     There  were  her 


2  I  8  Fire  and  Sword  in  Shansi 

old  pupils  of  the  Aston  Grammar  School,  where 
she  taught  for  six  years,  Sunday-school  pupils 
and  teachers,  factory  and  working  girls,  to  whom 
she  extended  the  same  helpful  and  thoughtful 
love ;  for,  though  she  was  always  busy,  she  always 
found  time  to  think  of  her  many  friends. 

"  She  had  '  a  heart  at  leisure  from  itself  ;  and  so 
little  did  she  speak  of  her  own  burdens,  that  when 
she  confided  to  us  that  it  had  been  for  years  her 
longing  wish  to  go  out  to  China  as  a  missionary, 
the  news  came  as  something  of  a  shock. 

"  It  was  the  neglected  condition  of  the  women 
and  children  of  China  that  especially  appealed  to 
her  loving  heart.  '  You,'  she  said,  when  saying 
farewell  to  the  girls  in  this  school,  '  have  many  to 
love  you,  but  the  poor  little  girls  in  China  hardly 
know  what  love  means.'  She  felt  deeply  the 
parting  from  all  her  friends  here  among  girls  and 
mistresses,  but  she  faced  it  cheerfully,  and  begged 
us  to  let  no  unhappiness,  no  sadness,  be  in  our 
thoughts  for  her.  She  knew  well  that  the  parting 
might  be  for  ever,  and  that  in  going  out  to  China 
she  must  be  ready  to  suffer  death,  if  need  be,  in 
the  cause  she  loved ;  but  she  was  prepared  to 
make  that  sacrifice  gladly  for  the  sake  of  the 
Master  who  had  done  as  much  for  her.  She 
knew  the  supreme  happiness  of  those  who  had 
given  up  all  to  follow  their  ideal,  and  who  have 
no  misgivings. 

"  So  for  the  last  three  years  she  worked  in  the 
school  for  the  children  of  native  Christians  at  T'ai 
Yiian    Fu,    busied,    at    first    especially,    with    the 


*^iK 


Mr  JoiiN  RoBiiNSOX,  B.A.   (Lond 


Miss  Duval, 


Miss  Coombs. 


Miss  Stkwakt. 


Memorials  and  Last  Letters  219 

weary  intricacies  of  the  Chinese  language,  which 
her  devotion  and  her  mental  gifts  enabled  her 
to  master  in  a  surprisingly  short  time ;  then 
grappling  with  the  still  more  weary  struggle 
against  the  obstinate  prejudices,  the  want  of 
straightforwardness,  the  want  of  trust  and  com- 
prehension of  the  native  women  and  children. 
Her  letters  show  how  deeply  she  felt  their  sad 
condition — how  she  regretted,  for  instance,  that 
prejudice  forbade  the  games  she  would  have  liked 
to  introduce  among  the  girls  ;  but  they  also  speak 
continually  of  her  supreme  happiness,  and  the  last 
letter  was  one  of  the  brightest  of  all.  '  I  am  so 
happy  with  the  bairns  ;  in  spite  of  all  my  want  of 
understanding  I  get  on  so  well  with  them  that 
day  after  day  is  glad  and  bright,  as  the  old  day 
in  the  school  life  at  E.H.S.  used  to  be.  Although 
I  don't  teach  now  in  the  sense  in  which  I  used,  I 
am  many  hours  a  day  in  the  schoolroom,  and 
enjoy  its  doings,  and  watch  its  humanity  with 
interest.' 

"  The  cutting  short  of  a  life  so  fruitful  and  so  full 
of  promise,  while  as  yet  so  little  seemed  accom- 
plished as  we  count  accomplishment,  must  needs 
be  a  mystery  to  us ;  and  yet  we  know  it  was  the 
supreme  sacrifice  of  Christ  which  touched  the 
heart  of  the  world ;  and  if  the  heart  of  that  great 
and,  as  it  seems  to  us,  hopelessly  enchained  and 
bewildered  Chinese  nation  is  to  be  stirred  to  a 
sense  of  love  and  compassion,  it  must  surely  be 
by  lives  '  faithful  unto  death,'  like  hers. 

"  It   is  by  individuals   and   by  the   use  of  each 


220  Fire  and  Sword  in  Shansi 

minute  separate  effort  towards  good  that  the  work 
of  God  is  carried  on  in  the  world.  His  kingdom 
'  Cometh  not  with  observation/  but 

' '  '  No  earnest  work 
Of  any  honest  creature  .  .  .  fails  so  much ; 
It  is  not  gathered  as  a  grain  of  sand 
To  enlarge  the  sum  of  human  actions  used 
For  carrying  out  God's  ends.'  " 

In  the  Birmingham  Daily  Post  of  7th  Septem- 
ber 1900  appeared  the  following  appreciation  of 
Miss  Coombs  by  her  pastor,  and  is  reproduced  here 
with  Mr.  Jowett's  approval : — 

"  Preaching  at  Carr's  Lane  Chapel  last  night, 
the  Rev.  J.  H.  Jowett  referred  to  the  news  from 
China  concerning  Miss  Coombs.  He  said  news 
had  come  to  the  city  to-day  which  touched  their 
Church  very  closely.  He  did  not  know  that  it  was 
unexpected,  and,  now  that  it  had  come,  it  almost 
staggered  and  benumbed  them.  About  two  years 
ago  one  of  the  finest  of  their  girls  left  Carr's  Lane 
and  the  city  to  take  up  missionary  work  in  North 
China,  Miss  Coombs  was  beloved  by  everybody 
who  knew  her ;  her  culture  was  only  exceeded  by 
her  piety,  and  she  spent  herself  abundantly  and 
lavishly  in  the  welfare  of  her  fellow-men.  The  news 
had  come  that  on  27th  June  she  was  murdered; 
the  hospital  was  destroyed,  and  he  was  afraid 
that  the  information  was  of  so  circumstantial  a 
kind  and  of  such  a  character  that  they  must  re- 
gard it  as  ultimate.  He  did  not  know  of  anybody 
who  could  meet  a  death  like  that  better  than  their 
friend   Miss  Coombs.      He  knew  she  would  be  a 


Memorials  and  Last  Letters  221 

perfect  heroine.  She  was  a  heroine  here,  and  he 
thought,  if  she  could  have  been  told  before  she  went 
out  to  China  that  she  would  become  a  martyr,  she 
would  have  gloried  in  her  call.  He  could  not  but 
think  that  a  death  like  hers  must  ultimately  be  for 
the  propagation  of  the  truth.  He  asked  them  to 
join  with  him  in  prayer,  and  said  that  their  prayer 
should  not  be  filled  with  lamentings,  but  rather 
with  thanksgiving  that  such  a  woman  had  been 
amongst  them,  and  laboured  amongst  them,  and 
given  herself  for  Christ." 

MISS    MARY    DUVAL 

The  desire  of  Mary  Duval's  heart  had  always 
been  to  work  for  the  Master  in  the  foreign  field ; 
but  first  the  care  of  her  widowed  mother,  and 
subsequently  her  school,  and  keeping  the  home 
together  for  her  younger  sisters,  prevented  her 
offering  herself  in  her  earlier  days.  However,  as 
time  went  on,  the  way  cleared.  Her  wish  had 
been  to  go  to  India  as  a  C.M.S.  missionary,  but 
as  at  the  time  of  offering  she  was  forty-two  years 
of  age  the  door  was  closed  to  her.  It  was  a 
grievous  disappointment,  but  she  would  not  be 
discouraged,  and  God  honoured  her  desire  by 
sending  her  to  labour  and  die  for  Him  in  China. 

It  was  before  the  call  really  came  to  her,  that, 
after  reading  the  book  about  the  massacre  of  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Stewart  at  Ku  Cheng,  she  remarked  that 
now  all  dread  of  going  to  China  was  taken  away. 
It  was   while   awaiting   a  vacancy   in    the    South 


2  22  Fire  and  Sword  in  Shansi 

American  Mission,  by  which  she  had  been  accepted, 
that  she  received  Mrs.  Pigott's  offer  to  go  to  China 
and  help  in  the  work  at  Shou  Yang,  especially  in 
the  education  of  the  English-speaking  children. 
She  accepted  it  as  God's  call ;  and  from  that  time, 
all  through  her  preparations  for  the  long  journey 
and  life  in  that  distant  land,  she  was  intensely 
happy.  After  leaving  England,  in  January  1899, 
she  never  had  a  regret  for  the  step  she  had  taken. 
Writing  on  shipboard,  she  quoted 

"  God  holds  the  key  of  all  unknown, 
And  I  am  glad," 

and  on  arriving  at  her  destination  in  May  she 
wrote  :  "  I  did  feel  joyful  when  my  litter  was  carried 
in  through  the  gates  of  the  Shou  Yang  Mission 
house.  I  knew  that  my  journey  was  over  for 
some  time."  A  very  toilsome  journey  it  had  been 
from  Pao  Ting  Fu — four  days  across  the  sandy 
plains  of  Chihli,  and  four  more  over  the  rugged 
mountains  of  Shansi,  resting  at  midday  and  every 
night  in  dirty,  comfortless  inns.  Her  fortnightly 
letters  were  full  of  brightness.  Over  and  again  she 
has  said,  "  Tell  everyone  how  happy  I  am." 

"  So,"  as  her  sister  writes,  "  in  the  midst  of  our 
grief,  not  only  for  the  terrible  loss  we  have  sus- 
tained, but  also  for  the  awful  suffering  she  was 
called  upon  to  go  through,  we  can  but  be  glad 
that  God  gave  her  the  desire  of  her  heart.  We 
can  rejoice  in  her  present  joy,  and  that  she  was 
*  counted  worthy  to  suffer  for  Him.'  "  ^ 
1  All  Nations,  April  1901. 


Memorials  and  Last  Letters  223 

The  following  letter  was  one  of  the  last  written 
by  her.  It  never  reached  its  destination,  as  when 
the  messenger  who  carried  it  was  half-way  to  T'ai 
Yiian  Fu  he  heard  of  the  riot  there  and  turned 
back,  only  to  find  that  the  Shou  Yang  missionaries 
had  had  to  flee.  He  kept  this  and  several  other 
letters  until  an  opportunity  presented  itself  of 
sending  them  to  us  at  Peking. 

"Shou  Yang,  Wednesday,  21  ih June. 

"  My  dearest  Mrs.  Stokes, — It  is  decided 
that  I  am  to  go  to  you  with  Mr.  Atwater.  I  felt 
it  would  be  too  much  for  you  to  have  another  in 
the  house,  and  made  up  my  mind  I  would  not  go. 
However,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Pigott  have  talked  it 
over,  and  they  thought  it  would  be  wiser  for  me 
to  go,  because  things  might  happen  which  would 
necessitate  our  leaving  here ;  there  are  only  three 
horses,  and  I  cannot  ride,  and  it  would  be  a 
difficulty  how  to  do.  Looking  at  it  in  this  light, 
I  felt  perhaps  it  is  right,  and  then  Mrs.  Pigott 
says  I  can  perhaps  help  you  in  your  duties, 
which  will  be  heavier  than  usual.  So,  dear,  it  is 
with  this  hope  in  my  mind  that  I  am  coming  to 
you,  and  thank  you  very,  very  much  for  wishing 
me  to  come.  I  do  hope  you  have  not  had  any 
more  headaches ;  also  I  hope  Nieh  is  a  help. 

"  These  are  not  nice  times  we  are  living  in  ;  it 
is  a  trial,  but  we  remember  '  the  trial  of  your 
faith  being  much  more  precious,'  etc.  The 
meetings  are  still  going  on,  and  our  dear  Chinese 
brothers  and  sisters  are  bright  and  trusting.      It 


2  24  Fire  and  Sword  in  Shansi 

is  like  passing  through  '  the  refiner's  fire.'  This 
day  last  week  you  left  us  ;  it  seems  ages  ago.  We 
had  a  happy  time  at  the  baptism.  I  wish  you 
could  have  stayed  for  it.  We  hear  the  Fut'ai  is 
coming  through  in  a  day  or  two  on  his  way  to 
Peking ;  rumour  says  he  is  going  to  ask  permis- 
sion to  kill  the  foreigners.  This  amuses  us,  for 
that  being  the  case  he  would  hardly  let  it  be 
known.  It  seems  to  us  more  likely  that  he  is 
summoned  to  give  an  account  of  his  own  doings  ; 
I  hope  he  will  never  come  back.  Another 
rumour  says  that  a  great  something  has  risen  up 
in  the  sea,  so  that  no  foreign  warships  can  come 
near  and  no  foreign  troops  land.  It  is  just  as 
well  for  them  to  know  that  foreign  troops  have 
already  landed.  Now  I  must  stop.  Please  give 
my  kind  remembrances  to  Mr.  Stokes,  and,  with 
much  love  for  yourself, — I  remain,  yours  affec- 
tionately, 

"  Mary  Duval. 

"  P.S. — If  my  skirt  is  not  begun,  please  wait  till 
I  see  you.  A  text  that  has  cheered  me  so  much 
is,  '  Thou  wilt  keep  him  in  PERFECT  peace  whose 
mind  is  stayed  on  Thee.' 

"  Oh  that  the  rain  would  come !  We  had  a 
beautiful  thunderstorm  last  week,  but  it  did  not 
last  long." 

In  another  letter  of  the  same  date  she  says : 
"  There  are  horrid  rumours,  but  God  is  keeping  us 
trusting;  and  looking  up  to  Him,  away  from  all 
else,  gives  peace." 


Memorials  and  Last  Letters  225 

MR.    ALEXANDER    HODDLE 

Alexander  Hoddle  was  the  fourth  son  of  the 
late  Mr.  William  Hoddle  of  the  Bank  of  England, 
in  which  he  was  also  for  a  short  time.  Leaving 
it  he  went  out  to  Canada,  where  he  remained  ten 
years.  While  there  he  made  the  acquaintance 
of  some  Quakers,  and  through  them  was  led  to 
think  more  seriously  of  doing  what  he  could  for 
the  spiritual  welfare  of  others.  On  returning  to 
England  he  settled  in  Newcastle,  and  became 
Secretary  of  the  Y.M.C.A.,  taking  up  Mission 
work  amongst  the  sailors,  and  being  specially 
interested  in  the  Chinese  sailors.  After  hearing 
Mr.  Pigott  plead  the  cause  of  China,  he  joined  the 
China  Inland  Mission  in  1887,  and  worked  in 
Huai  Luh  and  Pao  Ting  Fu  and  the  villages  of 
Chihli. 

Afterwards,  as  an  independent  missionary,  he 
threw  himself  with  energy  into  the  work  in  T'ai 
Yuan,  taking  charge  of  the  bookshop,  teaching, 
preaching,  and  doing  much  evangelistic  work  in 
private  conversation.  At  one  time  he  partly 
supported  himself  by  teaching  English  to  Chinese 
students.  He  was  a  truly  self-denying  man, 
giving  himself  heart  and  soul  to  Christ  for  the 
salvation  of  the  Chinese,  many  of  whom  were 
much  attached  to  him.  Mr.  Hoddle  had  an 
invitation,  in  the  last  year  of  his  life,  from  a 
well-known  missionary  in  Tientsin  to  teach  Eng- 
lish there  in  connection  with  their  Mission  ;  "  but," 
he   said,   "  I    cannot    see   my   way   to    accept    it. 

15 


226  Fire  and  Sword  in  Shansi 

God  has  hitherto  so  graciously  provided  for  my 
needs,  that,  so  far  as  I  can  see,  He  wants  me  to 
remain  here  in  T'ai  Yiian  Fu,  for  the  present  at 
least."  1 

In  the  spring  of  1900  he  accompanied  Mr. 
Alexander  Grant  to  the  coast,  and  when  at 
Tientsin  was  urged  by  his  friends  to  leave  for 
England  on  furlough,  as  he  was  not  well,  and  had 
been  in  China  for  more  than  ten  years  without  a 
break.  But  he  felt  constrained  to  return  to 
Shansi,  saying  he  would  go  for  his  furlough  "  in 
the  autumn."  He  started  on  his  inland  journey, 
reaching  T'ai  Yiian  Fu  about  the  end  of  May, 
and  was  among  the  thirty-three  Protestants  who 
obtained  the  martyr's  crown  on  9th  July. 


ARNOLD  E.  LOVITT,  M.R.C.S.  ENG.,  L.R.C.P.  LOND,, 
AND  MRS.  LOVITT 

Dr.  Lovitt  received  his  medical  education  at 
the  medical  college  connected  with  the  London 
Hospital,  and,  after  obtaining  his  diplomas,  acted 
for  a  year  or  so  as  resident  physician  to  the 
Mildmay  Hospital,  London.  It  was  while  there 
that  he  became  acquainted  with  Mr.  Pigott,  who 
was  on  furlough,  and  who  was  looking  out  for  a 
young  doctor  who  would  be  willing  to  go  to  Shansi 
and  take  up  the  work  of  the  Schofield  Memorial 
Hospital.  Dr.  Lovitt  joined  us  in  T'ai  Yiian 
Fu  in  the  autumn  of  1897.  His  wife  was  the 
^  All  Nalions,  March  1901. 


Memorials  and  Last  Letters  227 

daughter  of  Mr.  Alexander  Grant,  who  for  many 
years  was  a  missionary  at  Singapore,  and  who 
spent  the  winter  of  1899-1900  with  his  daughter 
and  her  husband,  leaving  Shansi  just  before  the 
great  trouble  began. 

Dr.  and  Mrs,  Lovitt  applied  themselves  to  the 
language  directly  on  arrival,  and  he  was  always 
ready  to  help  in  all  the  more  serious  operations. 
While  very  keen  on  good  "  cases,"  he  never  lost 
sight  of  the  great  object  of  the  work  of  a  medical 
missionary,  and  took  great  interest  in  the  evangel- 
istic part  of  the  work. 

In  the  spring  of  1899  he  assumed  entire  charge 
of  the  hospital,  having  been  in  China  only  eight- 
een months.  The  general  work  of  the  station 
was  in  the  hands  of  Mr.  George  W.  Stokes,  who, 
with  his  wife,  was  among  those  whom  we  so 
deeply  lament.  Mrs.  Lovitt,  having  been  fully 
trained  as  a  nurse  at  the  London  Hospital,  was 
well  able  to  second  her  husband's  efforts,  and 
took  charge  of  the  routine  work  among  the 
women.  From  the  letters  received  from  them 
after  we  left,  it  was  easy  to  see  that  they  at 
once  threw  themselves  heartily  into  the  work, 
and  were  alive  to  the  responsibility  resting  upon 
them.  It  was  a  great  joy  to  know  that  every- 
thing was  carried  on  so  efficiently. 

One  of  his  last  letters  contained  an  order  for 
medical  and  surgical  stores  which  were  to  carry 
him  over  the  next  winter,  and  he  was  looking 
forward  to  further  useful  and  happy  service,  when 
the  storm  burst  upon  them  suddenly  and  unex- 


22  8  Fire  and  Sword  in  Shansi 

pectedly.  Our  hearts  are  still  sore,  and  we 
mourn  the  loss  of  dearly  loved  friends  and 
fellow  -  workers ;  yet  we  are  assured  that  He 
doeth  all  things  well,  and  what  we  know  not 
now  we  shall  know  hereafter. 

His  last  letter,  written  after  the  burning  of 
the  hospital,  was  entrusted  to  a  faithful  Chinese 
servant,  who  forwarded  it  to  me  when  he  heard  I 
was  in  Peking,  and  has  already  been  referred  to. 

By  Mr.  A.  Grant 

Arnold  E.  Lovitt  was  born  in  or  near  London 
on  4th  February  1869,  and  so  was  in  his  thirty- 
second  year  at  the  time  of  his  unexpected  death 
at  the  hands  of  the  Governor  of  Shansi,  on  9th 
July.  His  father  is  a  partner  *  in  the  firm  of 
Warren,  Hall,  &  Lovitt  of  Camden  Town  ;  and 
Arnold  was  not  unnaturally  drawn  to  a  studious 
life,  and  finally  the  career  of  a  medical  missionary. 

Having  finished  his  course  at  London  Hospital 
and  taken  his  qualification,  he  was  for  a  time  in 
charge  of  the  Mildmay  Hospital  in  Bethnal  Green, 
under  the  superintendence  of  Dr.  Gauld,  formerly 
of  China.  His  desire  was  toward  foreign  mission- 
ary service,  to  which  eventually  he  gave  himself 
in  connection  with  the  lamented  Thos.  W.  Pigott 
of  the  Shou  Yang  Mission. 

On  the  essential  question  of  his  conversion  to 
God,  so  far  as  the  time  and  circumstances  are 
concerned,  the  writer  cannot  speak  definitely, 
further    than    to    state   with  joyfulness    his    con- 


Memorials  and  Last  Letters  229 

viction  that  Arnold  had  passed  from  death  to 
life,  and  during  the  short  period  of  our  acquaint- 
ance lived  a  godly  life  in  Christ  Jesus. 

Latterly  he  enjoyed  the  clear  gospel  ministry 
of  Mr,  Archibald  J.  Brown  of  the  East  London 
Tabernacle,  with  which  he  united  himself,  and 
from  which  he  may  be  said  to  have  gone  forth 
to  China.  The  commendatory  prayer -meeting 
previous  to  his  departure  was  held  in  that 
building,  where  fervent  effectual  prayer  had  long 
been  made. 

In  the  autumn  of  1897  he  with  his  wife,  the 
beloved  daughter  of  the  writer,  left  Southampton 
by  the  North  German  steamer  Preussen,  arriving 
in  due  course  at  Shanghai ;  thence  to  Tientsin  by 
local  steamer,  and  from  that  to  T'ai  Yiian  Fu  by 
boat  as  far  as  Pao  Ting  Fu,  now  noted  for  blood 
of  saints  shed  there,  and  then  by  road  to  their 
destination,  a  journey  of  six  or  eight  days. 

He  commenced  hospital  work  earlier  than 
would  have  been  in  other  circumstances  desir- 
able, as  Dr.  Edwards,  who  was  conducting  the 
work  of  the  Schofield  Memorial  Hospital,  was 
on  the  eve  of  returning  to  England  in  the  spring 
of  1899.  For  a  young  worker  to  give  the  first 
six  or  twelve  months  of  his  time  in  China  to  the 
language,  and  especially  to  the  study  of  the  word 
of  God  in  view  of  work  in  a  heathen  land,  so  as 
to  adjust  himself  to  his  new  position,  and  learn  all 
he  can  of  the  mind  of  God  in  reference  to  such 
service  among  idolaters,  would  be  advisable  in 
ordinary  circumstances.     As  events   have  turned 


230  Fire  and  Sword  in  Shansi 

out,  it  was  doubtless  well  that  work  was  com- 
menced at  once. 

Of  his  self-denying  and  painstaking  labour  in 
the  trying  and  often  repulsive  work  of  the 
hospital,  and  also  outside  it,  the  writer  had  the 
privilege  of  being  witness  during  over  ten  weeks 
in  the  dwelling  of  Dr.  and  Mrs.  Lovitt  last 
winter. 

To  his  readiness  to  meet  the  frequent  and 
sometimes  unseasonable  calls  of  patients,  as  well 
as  to  the  assiduity  and  conscientious  service  of 
his  beloved  partner,  also  trained  as  a  nurse  at 
London  Hospital,  and  to  the  faithful  service  in 
the  gospel,  whether  his  in  the  gatherings  of  the 
T'ai  Yiian  Fu  English  community,  or  hers  among 
native  women,  thankful  testimony  is  due. 

The  favourable  impression  produced  by  the 
long  -  continued  medical  work  in  the  city  and 
region  cannot  be  doubted,  nor  can  it  be  ques- 
tioned but  the  massacre  of  the  workers  is 
regarded  by  the  best  of  the  inhabitants  with 
sorrow  and  abhorrence. 

The  advent  of  a  Governor  willing  to  carry  out 
the  exterminating  edicts  of  the  Empress-Dowager, 
issued,  it  is  believed,  on  the  taking  of  the  Taku 
forts,  led  to  the  extinction  of  the  band  of  workers 
in  T'ai  Yiian  and  elsewhere  in  Shansi. 

What  is  done  cannot  be  undone  ;  but  if  the  true 
gospel  of  the  grace  of  God  is  more  than  ever 
declared  in  China  in  connection  with  these  events, 
it  will  be  well.  Resurrection  glory  will  finally 
crown  all. 


Memorials  and  Last  Letters  231 

THOMAS  WELLESLEY  PIGOTT,  B.A.  DUB.  ;  EMILY 
JESSIE  PIGOTT  ;  AND  THEIR  SON,  WILLIAM 
WELLESLEY    PIGOTT 

By  Mr.  George  F.  Trench 

The  subjects  of  this  brief  sketch  were  victims 
of  the  massacre  in  China  of  last  July.  In  the 
manner  detailed  below  these  beloved  servants  of 
Christ  passed  in  to  their  coronation  as  martyrs 
of  the  Lord  Jesus  from  T'ai  Yiian  Fu,  smitten 
by  assassin  hands. 

Born  on  6th  August  1847,  ^^'  Pigott  was  the 
eldest  of  the  six  children  of  William  Wellesley 
Pole  Pigott  by  his  marriage  with  Lucy  Trench, 
niece  of  the  first  Lord  Ashtown.  The  whole 
family  was  in  the  Lord's  service.  But  two  now 
survive — his  youngest  brother,  the  physician  of 
the  Dublin  Medical  Mission,  and  his  sister  Mary, 
sometime  engaged  in  Mission  work  at  Bloem- 
fontein. 

The  atmosphere  of  Mr.  Pigott's  home  at 
Leixlip,  on  the  richly  wooded  bank  of  the 
beautiful  Liffey,  was  deeply  and  actively  Christian. 
While  little  more  than  a  boy  he  helped  his  father 
in  his  daily  labour  of  presenting  Christ  to  the 
poorest  of  the  people  gathered  at  his  door  to  receive 
his  charity  and  hear  the  message  of  salvation. 

When  the  great  awakening  of  1862  moved 
mightily  Ireland's  midland  and  southern  provinces, 
Rye  Vale,  the  Pigotts'  home,  was  thrown  open 
to  the  preachers,  and  numbers  too  large  for  its 
space  pressed  in  to    hear    the    truth  proclaimed. 


232  Fire  and  Sword  in  Shansi 

Tom,  who  not  long  before  had  been  led  to  Christ 
by  a  remarkable  answer  to  his  boyish  prayer,  soon 
became  anxious  to  join  in  the  work  of  saving  souls. 

Little  did  I  imagine  when  encouraging  the 
young  man  to  speak  at  a  cottage  meeting  near 
Dublin  in  1868,  to  what  life  and  death  issues 
the  first  halting  effort  would  lead.  The  manly 
form,  the  radiant  expression,  the  merry  laugh, 
the  deep  and  overflowing  enthusiasm  for  Christ, 
marked  him  for  a  successful  missionary. 

If  ever  a  man  lived  who  was  utterly  in  earnest, 
it  was  Thomas  Wellesley  Pigott.  Whenever  he 
returned  to  this  country  from  his  chosen  field  of 
labour,  his  flowing  speech,  in  private  and  public, 
was  always  and  only  of  China  and  her  people, 
whom  he  loved  so  much.  It  was  impossible  to 
remain  indifferent  or  unsympathetic  in  the  pres- 
ence of  such  zeal.  It  wounded  his  spirit,  it 
grieved  him  as  something  unaccountable,  inex- 
plicable, that  others  should  not  feel  the  interest, 
the  sorrow,  and  the  joy  with  which  he  was  filled. 
And  this  was  no  mere  sentiment;  it  was  such 
a  reality  that  to  spend  his  time,  his  strength,  his 
mental  and  physical  abilities,  and  his  money  freely 
and  wholly  in  the  cause  of  China  was  to  him 
the  most  natural,  and  for  him  the  only  reasonable 
and  possible,  way  to  live. 

Mr.  Sowerbfs  Narrative 

Mr.  Arthur  Sowerby,  an  intimate  friend  and 
worker  in  China,  writes — 


Memorials  and  Last  Letters  233 

"  Twenty  years  ago  Mr.  Pigott,  B.A.  of  Dublin 
University,  with  his  fine  physical  development, 
and  possessed  of  private  means,  stood  on  the 
threshold  of  his  work  in  China,  where  he  had 
come  at  Christ's  bidding  to  consecrate  all  he  was 
and  had  to  the  Master's  cause,  and  the  salvation 
of  the  Chinese  people. 

"  I  recall  the  first  time  I  met  him.  I  had 
then  only  been  a  few  days  in  China,  and  I 
remember  his  hearty  and  genial  greeting,  the 
warm  brotherly  handshake,  and  the  pleasant  chat 
that  followed  in  the  sitting-room  of  the  C.I.M. 
at  Chefoo. 

"  A  few  weeks  later  I  was  travelling  with  others 
across  the  plain  of  Chihli.  It  was  in  December 
1 88 1,  and  we  were  pressed  by  circumstances 
to  travel  quickly.  Mr.  Pigott  might  have  joined 
our  party  and  have  enjoyed  some  pleasant 
companionship ;  but  it  was  characteristic  of  him 
to  prefer  loneliness,  and  to  lengthen  his  journey, 
although  the  weather  was  bitterly  cold,  that  he 
might  do  some  evangelistic  work  along  the  road. 
An  intense  zeal  for  the  conversion  of  men  was 
always  a  marked  feature  in  our  brother's  character. 

"  Arrived  at  T'ai  Yiian  Fu,  Mr.  Pigott  gave 
himself  up  to  a  more  thorough  study  of  the 
Chinese  language.  He  had  been  in  China  about 
two  years,  but  had  been  travelling  with  Mr. 
Cameron  in  Manchuria,  where  on  one  occasion 
he  nearly  perished  with  cold,  and  his  study  of 
Chinese  had  been  much  interrupted. 

"In    the    spring    of    1883   the    community  of 


234  Fire  and  Sword  in  Shansi 

missionaries  in  T'ai  Yiian  Fu  were  alarmed  and 
upset  by  an  attack  on  Mr.  Pigott  by  a  Chinese 
burglar.  The  thief  had  made  several  robberies 
from  other  missionaries,  and  had  secured  some 
dinner-knives,  including  a  carving-knife  from  Dr. 
Schofield.  One  of  the  smaller  knives  he  had 
converted  into  a  saw,  and  by  means  of  this  had 
effected  an  entry  into  the  room  where  Mr.  Pigott 
was  sleeping.  Mr.  Pigott  was  awakened  by  the 
incessant  coughing  of  an  elderly  man,  a  Christian 
evangelist,  and  rose  while  it  was  yet  dark  to 
procure  some  medicine  for  the  sufferer.  He 
discovered  the  thief  under  a  table,  and  attempted 
to  secure  him.  A  terrible  struggle  ensued,  in 
which,  although  badly  wounded,  Mr.  Pigott  ob- 
tained the  mastery,  and  the  thief  was  captured. 
Mr.  Pigott  then,  holding  a  wet  sponge  to  his 
bleeding  head,  ran  as  hard  as  his  strength  would 
allow,  in  the  early  grey  of  the  morning,  to  Dr. 
Schofield's  house,  when  his  strength  gave  way. 
For  some  weeks  he  needed  the  careful  nursing 
and  skilful  medical  attention  that  was  lovingly 
given  him. 

"  About  the  same  time  Miss  Jessie  and  Miss 
Florence  Kemp,  of  Rochdale,  arrived  in  T'ai 
Yiian  Fu.  They  had  left  all  the  attractions  of 
their  English  home  and  of  English  society  to  join 
in  the  hard  and  strenuous  work  of  evangelising 
the  Chinese.  In  those  days  life  in  the  interior  of 
China  involved  many  hardships,  and  there  were 
but  the  fewest  comforts. 

"  Miss     Jessie     Kemp     had    previously     been 


Memorials  and  Last  Letters  235 

engaged  in  Mission  work  in  India,  but  had  been 
compelled  to  leave  that  field,  as  her  constitution 
was  unfitted  to  endure  the  fierce,  sultry  climate. 

"  Most  of  the  missionaries  then  resident  in  T'ai 
Yiian  Fu  were  fitting  themselves  for  future  labours, 
and  Dr.  Schofield  gave  lectures  on  ophthalmic 
surgery,  with  special  reference  to  the  treatment 
of  cataract.  Miss  Jessie  Kemp  proved  herself 
a  most  apt  pupil,  and  subsequently  many  times 
operated  for  cataract  with  marked  success. 

"In  1883  an  engagement  was  entered  into 
between  Miss  Jessie  Kemp  and  Mr.  Pigott,  and 
they  were  married  at  Peking  in  August  of  the 
same  year. 

"In  the  summer  of  1883  Dr.  Schofield,  to 
the  unspeakable  grief  of  all,  was  fatally  stricken 
by  typhus  fever,  and  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Pigott 
returned  to  T'ai  Yiian  Fu  to  take  up  the  work 
from  which  the  beloved  physician  had  been 
removed.  Throughout  the  winter  our  friends 
kept  both  medical  and  evangelistic  work  going, 
and  it  was  remarkable  how  much  Mr.  Pigott 
was  able  to  accomplish  alone,  until  the  arrival  of 
Dr.  E.  H.  Edwards  relieved  him  of  the  care  of 
the  hospital. 

"  During  the  next  few  years  Mr,  Pigott  was 
largely  occupied  in  the  construction  of  the  Scho- 
field Memorial  Hospital.  By  the  devotion  of  time 
and  labour,  and  by  their  pecuniary  gifts,  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Pigott  did  much  to  secure  the  erection  of 
handsome  and  suitable  premises,  and  thus  greatly 
aided  in  the  valuable  work  done  for  so  many  years 


236  Fire  and  Sword  in  Shansi 

in  connection  with  that  institution.  Only  those 
who  were  in  T'ai  Ylian  Fu  could  form  any  just 
appreciation  of  the  burdensome  and  vexatious 
character  of  such  work  ;  but,  while  struggling  with 
Chinese  workmen,  evangelistic  efforts  were  never 
neglected,  and  every  endeavour  was  made  to  con- 
vert the  Chinese  of  all  classes. 

"Mr.  and  Mrs.  Pigott  visited  England  in  1885 
and  again  in  1890,  and  on  their  return  to  China 
in  1 891  were  accompanied  by  other  friends,  with 
whom  they  hoped  to  form  a  band  of  independ- 
ent labourers.  It  was  thought  possible  to  evan- 
gelise the  district  of  Lu  An  Fu  in  S.E.  Shansi ; 
but  unforeseen  difficulties  arose,  and  our  friends 
settled  at  Shou  Yang,  80  miles  east  of  T'ai 
Yiian  Fu.  Shou  Yang  is  a  market  town  of  some 
importance  on  the  main  road  to  Peking  and  the 
coast.  Amidst  much  opposition,  and  with  many 
difficulties  to  encounter,  our  friends  and  their 
colleagues  built  up  a  steady  work,  and  brought  the 
light  of  Christ's  gospel  into  many  homes,  and  the 
joy  of  Christ's  peace  into  many  darkened  hearts. 

"In  1896  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Pigott  were  again  able 
to  visit  their  friends,  as  it  proved,  for  the  last  time. 
Mr.  Pigott  was  anxious  to  secure  a  committee  in 
England  to  assist  him  in  his  work  at  Shou  Yang, 
but  ill-health  prevented  him  carrying  this  project 
into  effect.  In  the  autumn  of  this  year  our  friends 
suffered  a  severe  blow  in  the  tragic  death  of  Miss 
Ellen  K.  Brown,  who  lost  her  life  by  the  upsetting 
of  the  cart,  in  which  she  was  travelling,  into  the 
river.      A  very  dear  relative  and  friend,  and  most 


Mr  T.  W.   PiGOTT. 


Mrs   I'lGOTT. 


WeLLESLEY    W.     riGOTT. 


Mr  Alexander  Hoddle. 


Memorials  and  Last  Letters  237 

valued  colleague,  was  thus  lost  to  them  and  to  the 
work  of  the  Lord. 

"  Last  year  Mr,  and  Mrs.  Pigott  once  more 
returned  to  China,  and,  after  having  been  for  some 
years  crowded  in  small  and  unsuitable  quarters, 
they  were  gratified  at  being  able  to  obtain 
larger  and  more  commodious  yards,  and  were 
erecting  some  suitable  premises  that  were  greatly 
needed.  Among  other  projects,  our  friends  were 
arranging  for  a  school  for  the  children  of  mission- 
aries in  Shansi,  and  had  already  had  nine  other 
children  for  a  time  under  their  charge.  This  was 
a  most  generous  and  kind  purpose,  and  promised 
to  be  exceedingly  useful. 

"  The  terrible  events  of  last  summer  have  bereft 
the  Christian  Church  of  two  noble  and  devoted 
missionaries,  and  the  Chinese  have,  alas  !  killed 
those  who  were  entirely  their  friends.  What 
exactly  they  suffered,  with  their  governess,  Miss 
Duval,  and  tutor,  Mr.  Robinson,  both  wholly  in 
sympathy  with  missionary  work,  and  their  own 
dear  boy,  Wellesley,  is  perhaps  mercifully  hidden 
from  our  eyes. 

"  It  would  not  do  to  close  these  few  lines  without 
testifying  how  kind  and  good  our  friends  were  to 
the  Chinese,  and  how  much  loved  they  were  in 
return.  One  of  our  leading  evangelists,  in  no  way 
connected  with  Mr.  Pigott,  said :  '  I  do  like  to 
hear  him  preach,  he  is  so  full  of  love.'  At  one  of 
our  Chinese  conferences  Mr.  Pigott  gave  a  most 
valuable  address  on  the  Lord's  Second  Coming, 
which  was  much  appreciated  by  all ;  while,  at  our 


238  Fire  and  Sword  in  Shansi 

conference  held  last  February  in  T'ai  Yuan  Fu, 
Mr,  Pigott  preached  the  sermon  on  Sunday  morn- 
ing with  much  power  and  unction,  and  Mrs.  Pigott 
took  the  lead  in  addressing  the  women. 

"  Stunned  by  their  loss,  we  can  but  humbly  bow 
our  heads  before  God,  thankful  for  lives  of  such 
noble  devotedness,  thankful  for  their  triumphant 
death,  and  meekly  beseeching  that  He  will  comfort 
their  loved  ones  who  remain,  and  mercifully  re- 
build the  work  that  has  been  so  cruelly  overthrown, 
so  that  '  the  Son  of  God  may  yet  be  manifested ' 
in  Shou  Yang,  to  destroy  the  works  of  the  devil, 
and  deliver  them  who  have  been  for  ages  subject 
to  his  bondage." 

Both  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Pigott  had  been,  during  the 
earlier  portion  of  their  life  in  China,  in  connection 
with  the  China  Inland  Mission  ;  and  although  sub- 
sequently, as  Mr.  Sowerby  has  stated,  they  were  led 
to  found  a  Mission  on  independent  lines,  continued 
to  the  end  of  their  lives  in  hearty  sympathy  with 
that  noble  association.  In  i  896  Mr.  Pigott  wrote 
of  the  C.I.M.  as  ""a  Mission  which  we  love,"  and 
said  :  "  We  and  they  (Dr.  and  Mrs.  Edwards)  shall 
always  desire  to  help  in  every  way  the  old  work,  and 
only  regret  the  causes  which  have  led  to  severance 
of  the  bonds  of  organisation  —  not  of  Christian 
fellowship  and  co-operation,  if  we  can  help  it." 

Both  of  these  devoted  workers  were  deeply 
absorbed  in  their  work  of  soul-winning,  and  never 
lost  an  opportunity  of  speaking  for  Christ,  often 
in  much  weariness  and  weakness  of  body.     They 


Memorials  and  Last  Letters  239 

had  laid  themselves  and  their  means  on  the  altar 
of  consecration  to  God  ;  and  their  son  Wellesley 
was  following  in  their  steps.  He  began  last 
December  teaching  a  class  of  Chinese  boys  in 
Sunday  school.  A  little  while  before  going  back 
to  China  he  said  :  "  We  can't  be  martyrs  in 
England,  but  my  mother  and  father  and  I  might 
be  in  China."  It  was  a  remarkable  forecast,  and 
was  shared  by  his  mother,  who  after  the  Ku 
Cheng  massacre  wrote :  "  It  makes  one  feel  how 
short  our  time  for  work  in  this  land  may  be,  and 
long  to  be  filled  with  God's  Holy  Spirit  that  we 
may  be  faithful  to  the  end."  And  again :  "  If 
God's  infinite  grace  is  to  conform  us  to  the  image 
of  His  Son,  may  it  not  be,  in  our  work  for  Him,  we 
may  need  to  know  something  of  what  He  suffered  ?  " 

Mr.  Stanley  Smith  writes — 

"  Though  my  acquaintance  with  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Pigott  was  not  of  long  duration,  their  force  of 
character  has  left  very  distinct  impressions  on  my 
mind.  Mr.  Pigott  was  as  generous  and  large- 
hearted  as  Mrs.  Pigott  was  capable  and  courageous. 
Their  love  to  the  Chinese  was  a  characteristic  which 
showed  itself  as  soon  as  you  knew  them." 

Nothing  would,  I  am  convinced,  have  been 
more  distasteful  to  these  loved  friends  than  the 
idea  that  anything  should  be  written  for  their 
exaltation.  The  foregoing  record  is  not  to  be 
taken  in  that  way.  I  know  of  no  one  to  whom 
more  than  to  them  the  words  of  St.  Paul  applied : 
"  According  to  my  earnest  expectation  and  hope, 
that  in  nothing  I  shall  be  put  to  shame,  but  that 


240  Fire  and  Sword  in  Shansi 

with  all  boldness,  as  always,  so  now  also  Christ 
shall  be  magnified  in  my  body,  whether  by  life  or 
by  death.  For  to  me  to  live  is  Christ,  and  to  die 
is  gain."  "  I  hold  not  my  life  dear  unto  myself,  so 
that  I  may  accomplish  my  course  and  the  ministry 
which  I  received  from  the  Lord  Jesus,  to  testify 
the  gospel  of  the  grace  of  God." 

Where  lives  of  such  entire  consecration  to  God 
and  love  to  souls  are  given,  the  crown  of  martyrdom 
may  be  said  to  be  their  fitting  climax  and  glory.^ 

In  March  1902  a  memorial  tablet,  erected  in 
West  Street  Baptist  Chapel,  Rochdale,  to  com- 
memorate the  martyrdom  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Pigott 
and  their  son,  was  unveiled  by  Rev.  Dr.  Maclaren 
of  Manchester.  Before  unveiling  the  tablet  he 
gave  the  following  address  : — 

"  As  I  came  to  Rochdale  this  afternoon  I 
passed  the  old  house  in  which,  more  than  a 
generation  ago,  I  first  saw  the  little  girl  whose 
martyrdom  we  gratefully  commemorate  this 
evening.  As  I  entered  your  railway  station, 
prosaic  enough  place  for  such  a  memory,  I 
recalled  the  last  time  when  I  looked  into  the 
loving  eyes,  in  which  there  was  a  sweet  light  of 
devotion,  of  the  gracious,  gentle,  godly  woman 
whom  we  mourn,  and  yet  rejoice  over,  to-night. 
Few  of  you,  I  suppose,  can  share  with  me  these 
memories ;  but  I  trust  that  all  of  us  feel  the 
solemnity  and  the  inspiration,  and  perhaps,  for 
some  of  us,  the  rebuke  of  this  moment.  My 
friend  Dr.  Edwards  can  speak  far  better  than  I 
^  The  Christian,  November  1900, 


Memorials  and  Last  Letters  241 

can  of  the  circumstances  of  the  last  scene.  I 
have  but  imperfect  knowledge  of  that  picture  of 
the  family  going  slowly,  day  by  day,  nearer  to 
what  they  knew  was  likely  to  be  the  bloody  end 
— the  father  taking  every  opportunity  of  preaching 
the  gospel,  the  mother  and  child,  ah !  we  leave 
that ;  only,  the  unblemished  cause  of  the  Master 
was  with  them,  and  they  went  to  their  deaths 
among  the  last  recruits  to  the  noble  army  of 
martyrs.  And  may  I,  as  we  are  gathered  here 
to-night  as  friends,  gathered  by  sympathy  and 
not  merely  by  curiosity, — may  I,  as  a  very  old 
friend,  speak  of  the  martyrdom  of  those  who  in 
Rochdale  have  borne  a  heavy  load  of  sorrow. 
There  are  martyrs  who  live  as  well  as  martyrs 
who  die,  and  God  be  thanked  for  the  patience  of 
the  one  and  the  heroism  of  the  others.  Both 
come  from  one  source — the  indwelling  life  of  that 
Christ  who  knew  how  to  live  and  how  to  die. 

"  What  does  this  memorial  tablet  say  to  us  ? 
We  have  been  treated  in  past  years  to  a  great 
many  supercilious  and  depreciatory  estimates  of 
Christian  missionaries  by  people  who  know  very 
little  about  them,  and  care  less  about  the  word 
which  they  carry.  I  would  like  to  plant  some  of 
these  cheap  scoffers  in  front  of  this  tablet  and 
tell  them  the  story  it  commemorates.  I  think, 
for  very  shame,  their  lips  would  be  silenced  for 
awhile. 

"  The  tablet  speaks  to  us  of  what  we  sometimes 
sorely  need  to  have  freshened  to  our  consciences 
— the  continual  presence   of  our  Lord  with  His 
16 


242  Fire  and  Sword  in  Shansi 

disciples,  and  the  continual  power,  to-day  as  of 
old,  of  that  in-breathed  and  all-conquering  life. 
It  sets  before  us  dear  friends  who  gave  them- 
selves to  Jesus  Christ,  gave  their  sympathy,  their 
work,  without  stint,  to  those  people  to  whom  they 
were  so  eager  to  take  the  gospel.  They  did 
not  know  that  the  mightiest  proclamation  of  their 
Lord  would  be  that  which  would  go  forth  by 
their  death.  Like  the  hero  of  the  Old  Book,  they 
shook  the  pillars  of  the  idol  temple  when  they 
died,  far  more  than  they  ever  did  whilst  they 
lived.  Yes ;  the  blood  of  the  martyrs  is  the  seed 
of  the  Church.  Dr.  Edwards  will,  no  doubt,  tell 
you  how  the  prospects  of  the  harvest  upon  these 
furrows,  watered  by  this  dear  blood,  are  brighter 
than  they  have  ever  been  before ;  and  sure  I  am 
that  if  Jessie  Pigott  and  her  husband — ah !  and 
their  little  boy — had  been  told  when  they  went 
into  T'ai  Yuan  Fu  for  the  last  time  that  they 
were  to  die  in  order  that  the  stones  of  Christ's 
temple  in  China,  cemented  by  their  blood,  might 
stand  the  firmer,  they  would  have  been  thankful, 
and  would  have  said,  *  I  am  ready  to  be  offered 
a  sacrifice  for  God.'  There  never  yet  has  been 
any  great  cause  which  has  been  advanced  in  the 
world  unless  its  advocates  have  been  ready  to 
die  ;  and  the  last  thing  I  would  venture  to  suggest, 
as  speaking  to  you  from  this  white  marble,  is  the 
close  and  searching  question  for  us  all :  '  Am  I 
so  knit  by  faith,  by  love,  by  inspiration,  by 
enthusiasm  in  its  good  sense,  to  my  Lord  that 
my  daily  life  is  a  death  to  self?'     Thank  God, 


Wang  Tex   Ren  (martyred  July  1900)  and  his  liridc  mi  their  wedding  day. 
The  lale  Mr  and  Mrs  PicoTT  in  the  donrwav. 


Ccnn-tyard  (ii';i  lUidilhisi  'renipli.'  near  Shmi  Wuil 


Memorials  and  Last  Letters  243 

very  ordinary  Christian  people,  when  they  are 
brought  face  to  face  with  the  fiery  trial  of  martyr- 
dom, do  seem  to  start  up  into  a  new  greatness. 
We  are  not  Christians  unless  we  can  to  some 
extent  live  the  daily  life  of  self- crucifixion, 
self-abandonment,  self-immolation.  It  now  de- 
volves upon  me,  and  I  count  it  a  great  honour,  to 
unveil  this  memorial,  which  I  hope  will  long  keep 
the  members  of  this  congregation  in  mind  of  one 
whose  memory  those  who  knew  her  will  ever 
cherish." 

MR.   JOHN    ROBINSON,   B.A.  LOND. 

John  Robinson  was  born  at  Doncaster  on 
1st  September  1875,  his  father  and  both  his 
grandfathers  (who  were  then  living)  being  clergy- 
men of  the  Established  Church.  From  an  early 
age  he  cherished  the  desire  to  be  a  missionary  to 
the  heathen. 

As  he  was  of  a  studious  turn  of  mind,  it  was 
thought  best  that  he  should  have  a  classical 
education,  which  would  help,  rather  than  hinder, 
in  the  purpose  to  which  he  steadily  adhered. 
His  natural  disposition  was  retiring  and  reticent, 
but  in  his  conduct  he  manifested  something  of 
the  depth  and  reality  of  his  religious  feelings. 
Trained  in  Scripture  knowledge  from  childhood, 
he  was  a  diligent  Bible  student  for  himself,  and 
while  at  the  Blackheath  Proprietary  School  joined 
a  Bible  Class  which  had  been  formed  by  some  of 
the  elder  boys  for  mutual  study  of  the  word  on 


244  F^'*^  ^^^  Sword  in  Shansi 

Sunday  afternoons.  During  his  school  Hfe  he 
was  a  conscientious  worker,  and  finally  took  his 
degree  at  the  London  University  in  1896. 

His  spiritual  experience  was  deepened  by  a 
brief  holiday  visit  to  Cliff  College,  Dr.  Grattan 
Guinness's  Missionary  Training  Home  in  Derby- 
shire. On  his  return  he  desired  to  associate 
himself  with  some  definite  Christian  work,  and 
became  a  member  of  the  Blackheath  Y.M.C.A., 
where  he  was  soon  engaged  in  helping  in  the 
meetings,  open-air  services,  tract  distribution  in 
public-houses,  and  latterly  as  secretary.  This 
happy  connection  lasted  until  he  left  England. 

He  had  decided  views  on  the  subject  of  be- 
lievers' baptism,  and  in  the  autumn  of  1896  was 
baptized  by  the  Rev.  F.  G.  French,  the  pastor 
of  Lee  Chapel,  and  remained  a  member  there. 

In  the  summer  of  1898  an  offer  was  made 
him  by  Mr.  Pigott,  of  the  Shou  Yang  Mission,  to 
go  to  China  for  three  years  as  tutor  to  his  son, 
and  the  sons  of  any  other  missionaries  stationed 
near  who  might  desire  to  avail  themselves  of  the 
opportunity  for  their  children.  This  seemed  to 
be  an  opening  for  the  life  he  so  much  desired,  as 
he  would  have  facilities  for  learning  Chinese, 
gaining  an  insight  into  missionary  methods  and 
difficulties,  and  some  knowledge  of  the  customs 
and  character  of  the  people.  All  hindrances  to 
his  accepting  the  offer  were  eventually  removed, 
and  he  sailed  on  2nd  January  1899.  On  the 
voyage  out  his  letters  were  full  of  interest,  the 
descriptions  of   scenery  and    first   impressions  of 


Memorials  and  Last  Letters  245 

China,  and  her  curious  interesting  people,  being 
especially  vivid. 

The  long  journey  over,  he  began  the  work  of 
teaching,  and  the  personal  study  of  Chinese  with 
a  native  teacher ;  attended  the  services,  and  was 
soon  able  to  follow  part  of  the  addresses  in  the 
strange  language. 

The  routine  of  his  work  was  pleasantly  and 
profitably  varied  by  intercourse  with  missionaries, 
and  he  wrote  warmly  of  the  kindness  and  hos- 
pitality extended  to  him  in  T'ai  Yuan  Fu  during 
his  holidays.  These  helpful  visits  were  a  useful 
stimulus  to  mind  and  body.  His  letters  con- 
tained interesting  references  to  the  missionary 
work  going  on  around  him. 

His  first  allusion  to  the  Boxer  movement  was 
in  a  letter  dated  Shou  Yang,  Shansi,  2nd  Feb- 
ruary 1 900:  "The  rising  of  men  called  Boxers 
in  Shantung  and  Chihli  is  serious  there,  but  I  do 
not  think  there  is  any  danger  of  their  coming  here. 
They  have  done  it  in  the  east  before,  but  Shansi 
men  are  more  apathetic.  An  S.P.G.  man  has 
fallen  a  martyr,  but  you  will  probably  have  details 
soon  enough." 

In  the  last  letter  received  from  him  he  writes, 
under  date  i  3th  May :  "  The  rain  is  wanting  still. 
Famine  seems  almost  in  sight.  .  .  .  Prayer  has 
been  made  earnestly  and  continually  for  rain.  Is 
it  to  be,  or  is  a  visitation  of  calamity  decreed  ? 
Well,  may  we  and  the  people  be  lielped  to  tnist 
.  .  .  whatever " — 

The  end  of  the  sentence  has  been  death  and 


246  Fire  and  Sword  in  Shansi 

glory  for  the  writer  and  many  of  the  sorely  tried 
people  among  whom  he  wrought.  His  life  was  cut 
short  at  the  early  age  of  twenty-four ;  yet  "  he 
liveth  long  who  liveth  well,"  and  his  influence 
remains  in  the  minds  and  hearts  of  many.^ 


MR.    AND    MRS.   JAMES    SIMPSON 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Simpson,  after  some  eight  years' 
connection  with  the  China  Inland  Mission,  returned 
to  China  towards  the  end  of  1896  as  members  of 
the  Shou  Yang  Mission. 

Along  with  other  young  men,  Mr.  Simpson  was 
first  led  to  serious  thoughts  of  the  foreign  field 
at  a  missionary  meeting  held  in  the  Aberdeen 
Y.M.C.A.,  and  addressed  by  Dr.  Laws  of  the 
Livingstone  Mission,  Central  Africa.  The  im- 
pressions then  made  were  confirmed  by  the  visit 
of  Mr.  Hudson  Taylor ;  and  a  subsequent  visit  of 
the  late  Mr.  Pigott,  followed  by  a  personal  inter- 
view, resulted  in  both  he  and  his  wife  deciding  to 
offer  themselves  for  work  in  China. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Simpson  had  been  zealous 
workers  in  connection  with  Melville  Free  Church 
and  also  the  Y.M.C.A.  and  Y.W.C.A.,  winning 
a  good  report  by  their  untiring  and  unselfish 
service.  While  at  home  on  furlough  they  com- 
mended themselves,  in  a  very  marked  and  unusual 
way,  to  a  large  and  increasing  circle  of  friends,  by 
their  singular  devotedness  to  the  vast  needs  of 
China  and  the  claims  of  our  Lord  and  Saviour. 
^  All  Nations, 


Memorials  and  Last  Letters  247 

At  a  largely  attended  and  enthusiastic  farewell 
meeting  held  in  the  Y.M.C.A.,  Aberdeen,  on  3rd 
September  1896,  they  were  commended  to  God 
by  cheering  word  and  fervent  prayer ;  and  the 
following  text,  which  had  eight  years  before  been 
given  as  a  parting  word,  was  once  again  quoted 
and  commented  on  as  expressing  both  mind  and 
heart  of  all  present :  "  God  is  able  to  make  all 
grace  abound  toward  you ;  that  ye,  always  having 
all  sufficiency  in  all  things,  may  abound  to  every 
good  work  " ;  but  little  did  those  who  gave  that 
text  think  in  what  direction  the  "  grace  abound- 
ing" would  be  most  needed  by  the  devoted 
missionaries  who  were  called  to  lay  down  their 
lives  for  the   Master  they  loved. 

On  reaching  T'ai  Yiian  Fu,  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Simpson  at  once  threw  themselves  heartily  into 
the  work,  and  were  soon  at  home  among  the 
people.  Being  specially  attracted  towards  village 
work,  part  of  their  time  was  spent  out  in  the 
country,  and,  when  in  the  city,  the  opportunities 
offered  by  the  hospital,  school,  etc.,  were  eagerly 
taken  advantage  of  by  th?m. 

One  of  Mrs.  Simpson's  last  acts  was  to  carry 
little  Jacky  Lovitt  on  the  flight  from  the  burning 
hospital  to  Mr.  Farthing's  house,  defending  him 
from  the  blows  of  brickbats  and  cudgels  with  her 
own  body.  The  Chinese  who  accompanied  the 
missionaries  to  the  last  house  in  which  they  lived 
prior  to  the  massacre,  mention  her  as  being 
specially  active  in  seeking  the  comfort  and  welfare 
of  all  the  party.     When  the  end  came,  we  may 


248  Fire  and  Sword  in  Shansi 

be  sure  that  the  wish  expressed  for  them  by  their 
friends  at  their  last  leave-taking  was  fulfilled,  and 
that  "  all  grace "  abounded  toward  them  in  the 
hour  of  trial.  Their  place  in  the  Mission  field  is 
still  unoccupied.     Who  will  go  for  them  ? 


MISS    ELLEN    MARY    STEWART 

Another  name  of  fragrant  memory  among  the 
martyr  band  is  that  of  Ellen  Mary  Stewart, 
whose  unselfish  life  of  daily  loving  labour  won 
the  esteem  of  the  Chinese  as  well  as  the  warm 
affection  of  those  among  whom  she  more  especi- 
ally worked. 

She  was  born  i  ith  May  1871.  Her  con- 
version to  God  was  brought  about  while  at  school, 
through  the  recollection  of  a  fault,  and  a  dream 
in  which  she  thought  the  end  of  the  world  had 
come  and  she  saw  heaven  opened.  This,  without 
human  intervention,  led  her  to  her  Saviour. 
Writing  at  the  time  to  her  father  about  it,  she 
said :  "  I  think  I  am  almost  glad  in  one  way  that 
I  did  it  (although,  perhaps,  it  is  wrong  of  me  to 
say  so),  because  I  think  it  will  be  the  turning 
point  in  my  life ;  for  I  am  really  trying  now  to 
serve  God.  I  do  find  it  rather  hard  sometimes, 
but  I  have  asked  God  to  help  me,  and  I  am  sure 
He  will."  And  truly  He  did,  in  a  way  and  to  an 
extent  Nellie  little  dreamed  of  when  she  penned 
these  lines. 

After  awhile  the  desire  to  be  a  missionary 
sprang  up  in  her  heart ;  but,  home  duty  forbidding 


Memorials  and  Last  Letters  249 

its  realisation,  she  applied  all  her  energy  to  the 
work  of  Kindergarten  teaching,  for  which  she 
was  fully  qualified. 

In  1894,  when  she  was  inquiring  for  a  post  as 
governess,  the  secretary  replied :  "  There  is  but 
one  name  on  our  books,  and,  as  Simla  was  too  far 
from  home  for  you,  this  opening  is  quite  out  of 
the  question,  for  it  is  to  teach  English  children 
in  the  interior  of  China — T'ai  Yuan  Fu."  Nellie 
Stewart  went  away,  pondering  and  praying  over 
what  seemed  to  be  God's  answer  to  her  longings. 
Her  father's  consent  was  given,  and  soon  she  was 
on  her  way  to  the  Far  East  to  spend  four  and  a 
half  years  in  the  family  of  Dr.  and  Mrs.  Edwards, 
to  whom  her  helpfulness  and  affection  made  her 
almost  like  a  daughter.  Her  young  pupils,  whom 
she  taught  very  assiduously,  all  loved  her  dearly. 
She  gave  singing  lessons  to  the  Chinese  school- 
girls, and  for  some  time  devoted  her  leisure  to 
learning  Chinese :  this,  however,  she  subsequently 
gave  up,  fearing  she  had  not  the  strength  for  it  as 
well  as  her  other  duties. 

After  an  all  too  short  furlough  of  eight  months 
in  1899,  she  returned  to  China  with  Mrs.  Farthing 
(B.M.S.)  and  her  three  children,  reaching  T'ai 
Yuan  Fu  in  May  1900,  just  after  the  arrival  of 
Yu  Hsien,  the  new  Viceroy. 

Like  several  others  of  her  fellow  -  sufferers, 
Nellie  Stewart  was  naturally  timid  and  beset  with 
fears ;  but,  like  them  too,  a  strong  sense  of  duty 
and  a  firm  faith  in  her  Saviour  nerved  her  for,  and 
sustained  her  in,  the  God-appointed  path  which, 


250  Fire  and  Sword  in  Shansi 

rough  and  dark  though  it  was,  led  them  into  the 
presence  of  Him  they  loved  to  serve.^ 


MR.    AND    MRS.    GEORGE    W.    STOKES 

George  W.  Stokes  was  born  in  Dover  in  1863. 
From  the  age  of  four,  when  he  first  attended 
Sunday  school,  the  Salem  Baptist  Church  was 
his  spiritual  home.  There  he  found  Christ  in 
1 88 1,  becoming  a  member  of  the  Church  in  the 
same  year.  From  the  time  of  his  conversion 
until  his  death  he  was  actively  engaged  in 
Christian  work.  His  secular  calling  was  that 
of  a  printer,  and  in  it  he  was  very  successful, 
turning  out  beautiful  specimens  of  art  -  printing. 
He  made  time,  nevertheless,  to  labour  as  a 
Sunday-school  teacher  and  village  preacher,  and 
during  two  fairly  long  periods  had  the  oversight 
of  the  village  Mission  schools  in  connection  with 
the  Salem  Church.  Taking  advantage  of  his 
weekly  half-holidays,  he  frequently  visited  St. 
Margaret's  and  Ewell  Minnis  to  further  the  work 
of  the  Sunday  -  schools  and  arouse  interest  in 
special  services,  besides  taking  an  active  part  in 
establishing  and  conducting  a  ragged  school  in 
one  of  the  roughest  parts  of  Dover. 

The  troubles  and  anxieties  through  which  Mr. 
Stokes  passed,  in  the  death  of  his  first  wife  and 
little  son,  tended  to  make  him  very  gentle  and 
sympathetic,  and  the  remembrance  of  his  kindness 
and  consideration  is  still  cherished — in  the  villages 
*  All  Nations,  April  1901. 


Mr  Geo.  W.  Stokes. 


.Mrs  Stokes. 


Mr  James  Simpson. 


Mrs  SiMi'SOX. 


Memorials  and  Last  Letters  251 

especially.  His  strong  desire  to  enter  the  foreign 
Mission  field  was  at  length  gratified  when,  his 
parents  having  taken  charge  of  his  little  daughter, 
he  was  able  to  take  up  a  course  of  study  and 
training  under  the  Rev.  H.  Grattan  Guinness 
and  his  family,  and  in  January  1892  arrived  in 
China  as  a  member  of  the  China  Inland  Mission. 
By  constant  application  he  obtained  a  good 
knowledge  of  the  Chinese  tongue,  and  the 
ability  to  express  himself  well  enough  to  teach 
and  preach  acceptably  among  the  villages  in  the 
province  of  Chihli,  where  he  laboured  for  some 
time,  especially  around  Shun  Teh  Fu,  and 
subsequently  in  the  work  of  the  important  city 
station  of  T'ai  Yiian   Fu,  where  he  died. 

After  several  years'  work  in  the  China  Inland 
Mission,  Mr.  Stokes  had  occasion  to  visit  the 
Medical  Mission  at  T'ai  Yiian  Fu  to  consult 
Dr.  E.  H.  Edwards  as  to  the  treatment  of  opium 
cases.  This  led  to  his  marriage  with  Miss 
Margaret  T.  Whitaker,  who  had  come  out  from 
England  several  years  before  to  assist  in  the 
medical  work  there. 

Of  Mrs,  Stokes  her  sister  writes  :  "  She  always 
took  great  interest  in  Missions ;  the  world  and 
its  pleasures  never  had  any  attractions  for  her. 
I  well  remember,  when  she  was  about  six  years 
of  age,  my  dear  mother  taking  us  all  to  see  a 
pantomime — our  usual  Christmas  holiday  treat. 
During  the  performance,  in  a  scene  where  thun- 
der and  lightning  were  represented,  Maggie  said, 
•  Please,  mother,  take  me  out  of  this  place ;  these 


252  Fire  and  Sword  in  Shansi 

people  are  mocking  God.'  Her  wish  was 
complied  with ;  we  were  all  taken  home,  and  it 
was  our  last  pantomime.  About  the  age  of 
fourteen  she  began  teaching  in  the  Sunday  school. 
When  Mr.  Moody  came  to  London  she  was 
always  in  the  inquiry-room,  and  much  used  of 
God ;  but  before  that  time  her  mind  was  greatly 
exercised  about  China,  and  her  one  desire  was  to 
go  out  and  help  Dr.  Edwards  in  the  work.  The 
way  was  closed,  however,  till  the  doctor  returned 
ten  years  ago,  and  then  Maggie  felt  that  God 
had  called,  and,  despite  all  opposition,  she  must 
obey." 

Her  most  efficient  labours  among  the  sick  and 
suffering  commenced  as  soon  as  she  reached 
China,  and  never  ceased  during  the  eight  years 
of  her  missionary  life.  This  made  the  acquisition 
of  Chinese  a  harder  task  to  her  than  to  many, 
but  by  the  diligent  use  of  every  spare  hour  she 
gained  a  good  knowledge  of  the  language,  and 
lost  no  opportunity  of  making  known  the  gospel 
of  the  blessed  God  both  in  the  city  of  T'ai  Yiian 
Fu  and  the  surrounding  villages.  Seeing  how 
many  doors  for  the  truth  were  opening  in  this 
district,  and  how  few  were  the  labourers  to  take 
advantage  of  them,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Stokes,  on  their 
marriage  in  1 897,  decided  to  ask  for  their  dis- 
missal from  the  China  Inland  Mission,  and  to 
join  the  Shou  Yang  Mission,  which  had  its  two 
stations  in  Shou  Yang  and  T'ai  Yiian ;  and  here 
they  laboured  faithfully  for  three  years. 

In  her  last  letter,  on  9th  May  last,  speaking 


Memorials  and  Last  Letters  253 

of  the  arrival  of  the  Governor,  Yli  Hsien,  Mrs. 
Stokes  wrote :  "  It  looks  rather  ominous,  does  it 
not?  Well,  it  is  comforting  to  know  that  we 
are  safe  in  God's  keeping."  In  reference  to  the 
African  War,  Mr.  Stokes,  in  one  of  his  last  letters, 
says :  "  Victory  all  along  the  line,  I  am  afraid, 
would  have  done  us  harm,  but  it  is  most  sad  to 
think  of  some  of  the  noble  men  who  have  fallen 
that  the  nation  might  be  humbled.  Still,  I 
believe  they  have  accomplished  more  through 
defeat  and  death  than  was  possible  through  the 
most  brilliant  victory."  How  pathetic  these 
words  in  the  light  of  what  followed,  since  both 
these  faithful  workers  were  called  to  lay  down 
their  lives  for  the  cause  and  Master  they  loved  !  ^ 


REV.    GEO.  B.   FARTHING,    BAPTIST    MISSIONARY 
SOCIETY 

Martyred  with  Wife  and  Three  Children  at  T'ai  Yiian  Fu, 
^thjuly  1900 

On  2 1st  June  Mr.  Farthing  wrote  a  letter  to 
his  friend  Mr.  Dixon,  in  which  he  said  the 
telegraph  clerk  at  T'ai  Yiian  Fu  had  told  him 
that  there  was  a  secret  edict  from  the  Empress- 
Dowager,  which  had  come  by  telegraph,  saying 
that  all  foreigners  were  to  be  killed.  "  I  do  not 
know "  (the  letter  continued)  "  whether  this  is 
true  or  not ;  but,  Dixon,  if  it  is  true,  I  am  ready, 
and  do  not  fear ;  if  such  be  God's  will,  I  can  even 
rejoice  to  die." 

^  All  Nations t  March  1901. 


254  Fi>*s  ^^d  Sword  in  Shansi 

A  year  or  so  before,  he  had  delivered  the 
following  striking  address  at  a  meeting  of  the 
foreign  community  of  T'ai  Yiian  Fu,  and  it  is 
here  inserted  as  one  of  his  "  last  messages  "  ;  and, 
from  all  that  was  ascertained  on  the  spot,  we  are 
sure  he  went  calmly  to  the  place  of  martyrdom, 
upheld  by  the  thought  that  "  God  in  His  unerring 
wisdom,  He  who  '  according  to  His  purpose ' 
created  us,  has  so  fixed  '  the  bounds  of  our 
habitation,'  so  prepared  us  for  the  attainment  of 
His  will,  that  the  lifetime  of  every  man  is  fully 
proportioned  to  his  work." 

In  his  own  words,  "  the  work  was  done,  the 
shadow  on  the  dial  showed  the  hour,  and  the 
workman  was  called  away  to  his  rest." 

"Jesus  answered,  Are  there  not  twelve  hours  in  the  day?  If 
any  man  walk  in  the  day,  he  stumbleth  not,  because  he  seeth 
the  light  of  this  world.  But  if  a  man  walk  in  the  night,  he 
stumbleth,  because  there  is  no  light  in  him." — ^JOHN  xi.  9,  10. 

"  There  is  one  characteristic  of  Christ's  life 
which  is  plainly  manifest  to  everyone  who 
contemplates  that  wondrous  personage.  It  is 
the  calmness  of  mind,  the  composure  of  spirit, 
which  He  ever  displayed.  In  the  presence  of 
the  mighty  effects  of  His  power  He  ever  remained 
tranquil  and  dignified.  He  showed  neither  sur- 
prise nor  alarm.  He  was  the  same,  too,  in  His 
relations  with  the  people.  The  surging,  excited 
multitude  might  applaud  or  condemn  :  tumultuous 
praise  and  vehement  protestations  of  loyalty,  or 
indignant  wrath  and  venomous  expressions  of 
hate,  were  alike  powerless  to  disturb  His  serenity. 


Memorials  and  Last  Letters  255 

"  During  the  last  few  days  at  His  life's  close, 
troublous,  full  of  suffering  though  they  were.  He 
was  unchanged.  Throughout  the  conflict  of 
Gethsemane,  the  base  betrayal,  the  clamour  of 
the  judgment  -  hall,  and  the  anguish  of  Calvary, 
the  same  self-possession  is  apparent;  it  never 
deserted   Him. 

"  This,  however,  cannot  be  interpreted  as  the 
coolness  of  unconcern,  mere  nonchalance.  His 
was  not  the  cold  dispassionateness  of  the  Stoic 
or  ascetic.  None  was  ever  so  human,  so  sym- 
pathetic, as  He.  He  was  keenly  interested  in 
all  the  affairs  of  men,  and  was  glowingly  earnest 
in  all  His  doings.  He  was  graciously  bountiful 
to  all  need,  and  tenderly  compassionate  to  all 
distress.  Tranquillity  was  consistently  blended 
with  lofty  enthusiasm.  The  serenity  which 
seemed  to  encompass  Him  as  an  atmosphere, 
and  which  His  own  spirit  created,  was  that 
of  majesty,  of  conscious  power,  of  supreme 
knowledge. 

"  Life  for  Him  was  no  fragmentary,  broken 
thing ;  He  viewed  it  as  a  whole,  recognised  the 
purpose  in  it,  comprehended  its  conditions,  and 
gave  Himself  up  unreservedly  to  its  fulfilment. 

"  This  recognition  enabled  Him,  in  the  light  of 
the  purpose,  to  advance,  not  the  less  swiftly 
because  calmly,  to  His  goal.  Hence  there  was 
nothing  abrupt,  nothing  that  marred  the  sequence 
of  His  career.  Everything  had  its  due  weight 
and  exercised  its  proper  influence. 

"  Those  about  Him  might  at  times  hesitate  and 


256  Fire  and  Sword  in  Shansi 

reason  concerning  the  dictates  of  prudence  :  Christ 
was  prudent  without  going  through  the  ordinary 
reasoning  processes. 

"  Did  the  Pharisees  come  and  ostentatiously 
threaten  Him,  saying,  '  Get  Thee  out,  and  depart 
hence :  for  Herod  desireth  to  kill  Thee ! '  His 
ready  and  unfaltering  reply  was,  '  Go  ye  and  tell 
that  fox,  Behold,  I  cast  out  demons,  and  I  do 
cures  to-day  and  to-morrow,  and  the  third  day  I 
am  perfected.'  There  was  a  time  when  He  could 
sublimely  say,  '  Mine  hour  is  not  yet  come ' ; 
whilst  at  another  time  He  calmly  ministered  to 
His  disciples  in  a  grandly  typical  act,  because  He 
knew  '  that  the  hour  was  come  that  He  should 
depart  out  of  this  world  unto  the  Father.' 

"  Or,  take  the  circumstances  that  surround  our 
text. 

"  The  same  unruffled  spirit  characterises  His 
speech  with  His  disciples.  When  the  tidings 
first  reached  Him  of  the  deadly  sickness  of  His 
friend  Lazarus,  the  disciples  would  not  have 
wondered  had  He  set  out  hurriedly  to  Bethany, 
spite  of  all  hazards,  to  graciously  heal  the  afflicted 
one.  They  would  then  have  accompanied  Him 
without  comment:  that  would  have  resembled 
the  impatient  haste  of  men.  Not  so  did  our 
Lord  act :  '  He  remained  two  days  still  in  the 
place  where  He  was.  Then  after  that  saith  He 
to  His  disciples,  Let  us  go  into  Judea  again.' 
What?  They  had  thought  that  caution  had 
outweighed  friendship ;  but  now — now  that  the 
risks  of  the  journey  have  become  definite  and  are 


Memorials  and  Last  Letters  257 

fully  realised  through  their  consideration  of  them 
during  the  delay — now,  when  possibly  the  need 
for  His  presence  has  passed  away  —  now  that 
the  difficulties  have  increased  a  thousandfold — 
why  should   He  return  ? 

"  Surely  He  forgets,  and — full  of  wild  fears — 
they  say  to  Him,  '  Master,  the  Jews  of  late  were 
seeking  to  stone  Thee,  and  goest  Thou  thither 
again  ? '  To  which  He  replies  with  another 
question :  '  Are  there  not  twelve  hours  in  the 
day?'  Not  with  any  assurance  of  His  power 
to  quell  revolt  against  Himself  and  to  overcome 
whatever  forces  might  array  themselves  against 
Him  does  He  quieten  their  alarm,  but  with  words 
that  indicate  the  powerlessness  of  all  opposition 
to  harm  the  man  who  is  walking  in  the  path  of 
duty  until  his  day  has  fully  closed,  and  that  hour 
has  struck  which  has  been  foreordained  by  God 
for  the  end  of  his  toil  and  conflict.  How  sublime 
a  view  of  life  does  He  present  to  them  !  There  is 
a  purpose  in  the  life;  there  is  a  light  which 
illumines  the  path  of  the  man  who  truly  lives  his 
life,  and  there  is  a  sufficient  lifetime  assured  for 
the  full  accomplishment  of  that  purpose. 

"  It  is  only  when  self-willed  man  loses  sight  of 
that  purpose  and  quenches  the  light  that  there  is 
any  ground  for  fear.  It  is  only  then  that  threats 
annoy  and  perils  dismay ;  it  is  only  then  that 
the  spirit  falters  and  the  man  falls, 

"  It  is  this  recognit-ion  of  the  meaning  of  life 
which  makes  so  marked  a  contrast  between 
Christ's  life  and  our  own.  He  came  into  the 
17 


258  Fire  and  Sword  in  Shansi 

world  to  do  a  work,  and  He  did  it.  Whilst 
doing  it  He  was  freed  from  all  anxiety  con- 
cerning it.  He  did  not  distinguish  between 
success  and  failure.  All  was  alike  successful. 
It  was  God  commanded,  and  it  could  not  but 
accomplish  the  thing  that  was  purposed.  Not 
now,  it  may  be,  but  the7t — in  God's  time  and  in 
God's  way — for  *  there  is  no  hurry  in  eternal 
things.' 

"  This  was  Christ's  way  of  looking  upon  life. 
Ought  it  not  to  be  ours  also?  Does  not  His 
question,  *  Are  there  not  twelve  hours  in  the 
day  ? '  indicate  this  very  thing  ?  Surely  this  is 
what  His  teaching  implied.  Let  us  consider  the 
significance  of  His  words  concerning  our  own 
lives. 

"  I.  They  teach  us  that  God  has  a  purpose  in 
our  lives. 

"  This  is  acknowledged  by  every  one  of  us  in 
some  indefinite  way.  It  is,  however,  more  of 
an  instinctive  feeling  than  a  thought;  more  of 
a  pious  assent  than  a  determinate  wish  to 
apprehend  what  that  purpose  is  and  to  fulfil  it. 
What  we  need  to  grasp  is,  that  though  as 
individual  men  we  are  distinct  and  separate,  yet 
we  each  are  members  one  of  another,  we  each 
have  some  distinct  and  peculiar  work  to  do, 
which  only  we  can  do,  and  which  has  a  definite 
relation  to  God's  creative  plan.  Human  beings 
have  a  reality  in  the  mind  of  God.  Existence 
was  not  designed  to  be  meaningless.  We  are 
not  Fatherless  orphans,  left  to  shift  for  ourselves, 


Memorials  and  Last  Letters  259 

cast  adrift  upon  the  restless  world-ocean,  perchance 
to  be  engulphed,  or,  more  or  less  happily,  to  be 
flung  upon  some  shore  alive  though  sorely  tossed. 

"  No ;  we  have  a  Father,  by  whose  will  we  were 
begotten,  by  whose  hand  we  were  to  be  guided, 
and  whose  purpose  we  were  intended  to  fulfil. 

"  Each  one  of  us  came  forth  from  the  heart  of 
God  bearing  some  special  impress,  charged  with 
some  special  mission,  and  fraught  with  some 
special  significance  in  the  designs  of  our  Great 
Creator. 

"  We  were  made  by  Him  just  what  we  are,  so 
far  as  we  have  not  marred  His  work,  and  are  what 
He  made  us,  for  some  special  end.  He  created 
us  in  His  infinite  wisdom,  to  serve  His  purpose  in 
some  way  for  which  we  alone  are  fitted. 

"  He  might  have  called  into  being,  by  His 
creative  word,  creatures  fairer,  diviner,  whose  loving 
homage,  whose  worship  and  devotion,  would  have 
been  more  perfect,  more  pure,  than  that  which  we 
can  render ;  but  He  chose,  and  His  choice  fell 
upon  us ;  He  spake  and  we  came  into  being,  and 
came  that  we  might  fill  some  place  and  do  some 
work  in  accordance  with  His  will. 

"  What  we  may  each  one  humbly  say  is,  *  God 
made  me,  all  that  which  is  essentially  me,  and 
by  which  I  am  known  from  all  others.  Those 
idiosyncrasies,  those  characteristics,  which  make 
up  my  individual  self,  which  give  me  a  distinct 
personality,  the  gifts  which  are  peculiarly  my  en- 
dowment,— these  did  God  give  to  me,  not  through 
caprice,  not  without   intention,  but  because  they 


26o  Fire  and  Sword  In  Shansi 

were  the  very  qualifications  which  fitted  me  to  do 
His  will.' 

"  Others  may  be  more  richly  endowed,  furnished 
with  vastly  different  gifts,  seem  to  be  created  for 
tasks  which  are  larger  and  more  brilliant ;  but  none 
can  be  more  honourable  for  any  one  of  us  than 
that  received  from  the  Lord  of  our  life.  There  is 
infinite  variety,  but  no  sameness.  It  is  doubtful 
whether  there  are  two  men  whose  work  exactly 
corresponds,  and  thus  that  we  contentedly  and 
zealously  perform  the  high  behest  is  urgent.  All 
offices  are  alike  honourable,  and  our  dignity  the 
same ;  we  are  His  special  creations,  to  whom  is 
committed  some  special  task.  Let  us  illustrate. 
It  has  been  told  of  Arthur,  how  the  sword  with  its 
bejewelled  hilt  which  he  wielded,  and  which  he 
alone  could  wield,  had  been  held  out  to  him  at  the 
first  by  an  arm  '  clothed  in  white  samite,  mystic, 
wonderful,'  and  how,  when  the  knight  was  about  to 
breathe  his  last,  the  sword  was  again  thrown  back 
into  the  stream  from  out  of  which  it  had  been 
given,  and  was  received  back  by  the  same  hand. 
It  was  a  special  sword  for  a  special  warrior,  and 
useless  in  the  hand  of  any  other. 

"  So  it  is  with  ourselves.  Our  peculiar  endow- 
ments are  as  the  sword  of  Arthur,  which  no  other 
can  possess  and  which  we  alone  can  use.  They 
were  received  by  us  from  God,  and  of  them  shall 
we  have  to  give  account  to  Him ;  they  were 
embodied  in  us  and  allied  with  our  personality,  to 
accord  with  and  make  His  possible  in  our  lives. 

"  Oh !  if  we  want  to  make  life  real,  let  us  grasp 


Memorials  and  Last  Letters  261 

this  truth.  This  will  give  fulness  and  solemnity 
to  life,  bring  content,  and  awaken  ardour.  Every- 
man will  then  become  sacred,  an  altar  upon  which 
God  descends,  a  temple  in  which  God  dwells. 

"  2.  Our  text  teaches  us  that  the  measure  of 
our  lifetime  accords  with  that  purpose.  What 
else  could  our  Saviour  mean  when  He  answered, 
'  Are  there  not  twelve  hours  in  the  day  ? '  than 
that  every  life  is  complete,  a  full  day  with  twelve 
hours  ? 

"It  is  God  who  assigns  the  day ;  the  divine 
arithmetic  we  may  not  understand.  In  His 
unerring  wisdom,  He  who,  '  according  to  His 
purpose,'  created  us  has  so  fixed  '  the  bounds  of 
our  habitation,'  so  prepared  us  for  the  attainment 
of  His  will,  that  the  lifetime  of  every  man  is  fully 
proportioned  to  his  work. 

"  The  babe  that  hardly  enters  upon  the  earthly 
life  before  it  again  resigns  it  and  goes  back  into 
the  invisible  from  which  it  had  so  lately  issued, 
has  lived  its  day  could  we  but  count  the  hours  as 
God  counts  them.  Nothing  falls  to  the  ground 
resultless.  Every  breath  we  draw  exerts  an 
influence  throughout  the  universe. 

"  Did  we  but  know  how  mighty  have  been  the 
effects  of  the  things  we  deemed  failures,  could  we 
but  tell  the  worth  of  the  things  we  have  done 
whose  outcome  is  hidden,  how  they  are  not  dead 
but  are  living  and  have  gone  forth  into  the  earth, 
then  should  we  marvel,  and  not  be  found  so 
frequently  bemoaning  the  seeming  worthlessness 
of  life.     *  Are  there  not  twelve  hours  in  the  day  ?  ' 


262  Fire  and  Sword  in  Shansi 

"  We  often  think  not,  because  we  cannot  reckon 
as  God  reckons.  We  say  of  a  life  that  was 
snapped  off,  that  just  as  it  was  beginning  to  put 
forth  its  strength,  to  show  its  beauty,  to  manifest 
its  worth,  it  ended — ended  abruptly,  ended  pre- 
maturely. 

"  Indeed  there  are  wonderful  contrasts.  Look  at 
the  sons  of  Zebedee :  both  were  ardent  followers 
of  our  Lord,  but  James  fell  ignominiously  upon 
the  very  opening  of  the  Christian  campaign ; 
the  sword  of  Herod  ended  the  life  so  full  of 
promise,  so  rich  in  preparedness  before  the  work 
was  well  begun. 

"  His  brother  John  lived  on  and  attained  a 
fulness  of  years  greater  than  that  of  any  other  of 
the  apostles,  became  a  man  of  visions,  an  eagle- 
eyed  Evangelist,  who  with  piercing  gaze  looked 
upon  the  infinite  fount  of  light,  and  left  the  world 
for  ever  enriched  by  his  clear  discernment  of  the 
truth.  How  unequal !  we  cry.  The  life  of  John, 
so  rich,  so  long — and  the  death  of  James,  so  un- 
timely. Untimely !  Banish  the  thought.  This 
we  believe,  that  in  each  case  in  God's  sight  there 
was  fulness,  each  life  was  complete,  for  both  alike 
twelve  hours. 

"  The  work  was  done,  the  shadow  on  the  dial 
showed  the  hour,  and  the  workman  was  called  away 
to  his  rest.  *  Man  is  immortal  till  his  work  is  done.' 
"  As  our  bond  for  the  statement,  we  take  the 
example  of  Christ,  we  point  to  the  whole  Gospel 
narrative,  and  our  text  surely  brings  it  before  us 
when  our  Lord  reminds  us  by  His  sublime  ques- 


Memorials  and  Last  Letters  263 

tion  that  there  are  twelve  hours  accorded  to  every 
man  wherein  to  live  and  labour.  Our  Lord  asked 
the  question  of  them  as  though  it  could  not  but 
win  their  assent,  that  it  could  not  be  gainsaid 
that  the  hand  of  God  is  in  the  destinies  of  His 
people,  that  the  Lord's  power  overrules  and 
subdues  all  foes ;  that  He  is  the  supreme  Arbiter 
in  the  affairs  of  man,  the  giver  and  sustainer  and 
disposer  of  men's  lives,  that  He  accords  to  all 
twelve  hours — a  full  and  sufficient  lifetime. 

"  3.  Our  text  further  teaches  us  that  suitable 
opportunity  is  granted  us  for  the  working  out  of 
God's  purpose  in  our  lives.  *  If  a  man  walk  in 
the  day  he  stumbleth  not,  because  he  seeth  the 
light  of  this  world.'  It  may  have  been  that  it 
was  early  morn  when  our  Saviour  was  speaking, 
and  that,  standing  at  the  door  of  their  last  night's 
resting-place.  He  pointed  to  the  great  orb  of  day, 
which  had  begun  to  mount  up  into  the  heavens,  a 
taskmaster,  a  watchman  warding  off  danger,  caus- 
ing, as  it  did,  the  wild  beasts  to  seek  their  lairs, 
and  showing  the  inequalities  and  pitfalls  of  the 
way.  *  And  so,'  Christ  seems  to  say,  '  God  hath 
manifested  to  me  His  purpose  as  by  an  outer 
light  illuminating  my  path,  and  making  things 
otherwise  dangerous  without  power,  so  that  with- 
out the  least  hesitancy,  by  the  light  shed  upon  the 
purpose  as  in  the  light  of  day,  I  can  walk  in  safety.' 

"  And  what  is  the  force  of  all  this  for  us  ?  Is 
it  not  that  God  so  communicates  to  us  His  will 
that  we  may  walk  unhesitatingly,  without  fear  of 
the  world,  without  anxiety  within,  to  perform  the 


264  Fire  and  Sword  in  Shansi 

very  thing  that  He  would  have  us  do?  The 
purpose  of  God  in  our  creation  is  like  the  eye  of 
the  body ;  God  making  known  His  will  is  like 
the  sunlight,  which  alone,  as  it  communes  with  the 
eye,  enables  us  to  see.  The  purpose  is  as  the 
inherent  fructifying  power  of  the  earth,  whilst 
God's  communication  is  as  the  sun  and  rain  and 
air,  which  quicken  the  earth's  forces  into  activity. 
The  purpose  may  be  likened  to  the  mariner's 
knowledge  and  skill  to  guide  a  ship  to  a  distant 
port,  and  God's  communication  to  the  skies  and 
stars  and  compass  by  which  he  must  take  his 
bearings  and  find  his  course ;  else  would  he  be  at 
the  mercy  of  the  ocean,  spite  of  his  knowledge. 

"  For  the  working  out  of  God's  will  we  need 
God's  light  upon  our  pathway.  He  hides  within 
us  His  purpose ;  He  fits  us  for  the  doing  of  the 
task  He  has  chosen  for  us,  but  He  keeps  us  de- 
pendent upon  Him  for  the  interpretation  of  our 
duty,  for  the  opening  of  our  way,  for  the  creating 
of  opportunity.  Without  His  aid  we  cannot  spell 
out  the  mystery  of  His  calling  for  us.  The  light 
is  not  in  a  man  himself. 

"  How  is  it  with  you,  my  friends  ?  Are  you 
sighing  and  mourning  because  the  divine  purpose 
is  indefinite  and  hard  to  understand? 

"  Do  you  sadly  say,  '  I  am  sure  I  cannot  tell 
what  I  have  received  of  the  manner  of  a  special 
gift  from  the  Lord.  I  know  not  what  He  would 
have  me  do.  Of  one  thing  only  am  I  certain,  that 
I  have  not  ten  talents,  nor  five,  and  have  long 
been  doubtful  whether  I  have  even  one '  ? 


Memorials  and  Last  Letters  265 

"  Is  such  your  plaint  ?  Perhaps  you  have  been 
mistaking  the  duty  of  the  hour,  have  sought  light 
and  meaning  within,  instead  of  turning  your  eyes 
towards  heaven.  Look  out  from  self — look  up  to 
God. 

"  It  may  be  that  you  have  closed  your  eyes, 
and,  like  a  blind  man  who  does  not  realise  that 
the  darkness  is  of  himself,  are  bemoaning  that 
the  sun  hath  not  yet  risen.  Open  thine  eyes  and 
see.  Light  is  streaming  out  and  flooding  thy 
pathway.  The  Lord  it  is  who  makes  luminous 
our  duty  if  we  are  ready  to  see,  attentive  to  hear, 
and  willing  to  obey.  '  If  any  man  will  do  His 
will,  he  shall  know.'  *  We  shall  know  if  we  follow 
on  to  know  the  Lord.'  '  In  God's  light  we  shall 
see  light.'  God  hath  done  and  is  doing  His  part. 
All  our  experiences,  in  so  far  as  they  have  been 
true  and  have  brought  forth  holiness, — all  these 
have  been  preparing  us  for  the  possession  of  our 
birthright. 

"  Every  single  thing  has  had  some  effect  in 
awakening  us  to  knowledge,  in  quickening  us  to 
activity,  if  we  would  but  be  quickened. 

"  Up  then  !  Let  us  be  doing.  Answer  God's 
call — His  call  by  our  sorrows — His  call  by  our 
joys,  by  our  birth,  and  by  our  attainments — His 
call  by  the  view  He  has  vouchsafed  us  of  the 
needs  of  others — His  call  in  whatever  way  He 
has  called  us, — for  all  these  things  are  the  light 
of  day,  in  which  we  must  walk  whilst  yet  it  shines. 

"  4.  Our  text  sadly  reminds  us  that  there  is 
such  a  thing  possible  as  the  frustrating  of  God's 


266  Fire  and  Sword  in  Shansi 

will,  and  the  making  void  of  His  purpose.  *  If  a 
man  walk  in  the  night  he  stumbleth,  because  the 
light  is  not  in  him.'  What  is  the  picture  that  our 
Saviour  draws  ?  It  is  that  of  a  man  whose  self- 
centred  thoughts  have  made  him  apprehensive ; 
he  has  become  cautious  ;  he  fears  the  perils  of  the 
way ;  he  thinks  of  the  Jews  who  will  stone  him, 
and,  turning  aside  from  the  path  which  God's 
finger  points  out  for  him,  fails  to  embrace  the 
opportunity  presented.  It  does  not  appear  to 
him,  perhaps,  that  he  is  evading  duty ;  the  task  he 
will  ultimately  perform,  but  not  just  now ;  the  risks 
are  too  great,  he  will  delay  awhile  until  the  signs 
are  more  favourable, — that  is  all.  Alas  !  it  is  not 
all,  for  the  sky  which  was  so  full  of  light  for  him 
but  a  short  time  before  now  becomes  overcast. 

"  It  is  no  longer  day,  but  night,  for  him — a  night 
of  thick  gloom  and  darkness ;  for  in  himself  there 
is  no  light  whereby  he  can  discover  his  path  and 
discern  duty.  '  The  twelve  hours '  are  lived  out, 
but  in  black  night  instead  of  glorious  day.  This 
seems  to  be  the  picture  which  our  Saviour 
sketches  of  what  befalls  the  man  who  neglects 
God's  appointed  task.  He  that  would  save  his 
life  loses  it.  By  failure  to  embrace  the  opportune 
moment  and  to  yield  up  himself  to  the  divinely 
appointed  task,  his  whole  life  is  thrown  out  of 
joint  and  deprived  of  meaning. 

"  But  thanks  be  unto  God  for  His  grace  where- 
by He  gave  us  repentance  and  brought  us,  who 
had  even  thus  wandered,  out  of  the  night,  and 
re-established  us  in   His  ways  and  shone  upon  us 


2    '^ 


Memorials  and  Last  Letters  267 

with  His  light,  and  still  shines  upon  our  pathway, 
and  of  whom  we  are  persuaded  that  He  will 
continue  to  shine  upon  us.  Oh !  may  He  so 
vouchsafe  His  help,  so  brace  up  our  powers  that 
we  may  follow  the  Christ,  who  walked  unfalter- 
ingly, undismayed,  because  He  lived  ever  in  the 
broad  light  of  day  and  was  ever  subject  to  the 
manifest  guidance  of  God  ;  and  so,  like  Him,  may 
we  serenely  and  composedly  live  through  our 
twelve  hours  and  fulfil  the  work  which  God  has 
given  us  to  do." 

DIARIES    AND    LAST    LETTERS    OF    MISSIONARIES 
OF  THE  AMERICAN  BOARD  MISSION,  SHANSI 

The  following  is  one  of  the  latest  diaries  written 
by  any  of  the  missionaries  who  were  massacred 
in  the  province.  The  writer  was  the  Rev.  C.  VV. 
Price  of  America,  and  with  him  at  the  isolated 
station  of  Fen  Chou  Fu  were  his  wife  and  little 
daughter  (Florence) ;  Rev.  E.  Atwater  (American) 
and  his  wife  (who  was  an  Irish  lady)  and  two 
children  (Bertha  and  Celia) ;  Rev.  P.  Lundgren 
and  his  wife  (Danes) ;  and  Miss  Eldred  (English). 
The  three  latter  were  only  there  on  a  visit. 

This  diary  is  of  particular  interest,  because  from 
it  we  learn  how  suddenly  the  storm  gathered  and 
burst  in  this  province.  Glimpses  of  the  life  of  the 
missionaries  during  the  last  anxious  fortnight  are 
also  given  us.  How  complete  was  their  isolation 
may  be  gathered  from  the  fact  that,  though  their 
two  nearest  colleagues  (whose  station  was  distant 


2  68  Fire  and  Sword  in  Shansi 

but  some  lo  miles)  were  massacred  on  30th  June, 
they  only  heard  of  it  on  3rd  July;  while  on  25th 
July  they  were  still  uncertain  as  to  the  fate  of  the 
forty-six  foreigners  who  were  murdered  at  T'ai 
Yuan  Fu  (only  three  days'  journey  away)  on  the 
9th  of  the  same  month. 

We  can  easily  imagine,  as  they  watched  day  by 
day  the  clouds  which  would  not  bring  the  much 
desired  rain,  how  anxiously  they  deliberated  as  to 
what  was  the  best  thing  to  do.  Then  there  was 
the  suspense  at  night  as  they  kept  their  lonely 
watch  and  listened  attentively  for  every  sound  ; 
for  a  Chinese  city  at  night  (at  least  in  the  north) 
IS  as  quiet  as  a  city  of  the  dead,  except  for  the 
occasional  dinging  of  a  watchman's  gong.  It  is 
difficult — nay  impossible — to  realise  what  were 
the  feelings  of  the  husband  and  wife  with  their 
two  children  when  they  knew  their  house  was 
surrounded  by  an  angry  mob — and  that  at  night 
too !  Knowing  that  a  bold  front  was  their  only 
chance  of  safety,  they  open  the  gate  of  their  court- 
yard and  bravely  walk  through  the  crowd  to  the 
official  residence  of  the  Mandarin,  where  they  are 
refused  admittance ! !  No  sooner  are  they  out  of 
their  house  than  the  pillaging  commences,  so  that 
they  are  obliged  to  take  refuge  with  their  fellow- 
missionaries — minus  everything  but  what  they 
wore.  Harassed  with  conflicting  reports,  hope 
and  fear  alternate.  Now  a  proclamation  is  issued 
for  their  protection,  and  anon  a  day  is  fixed  for 
their  extermination. 

The  few  Christians  who  have  remained  by  the 


Memorials  and  Last  Letters  269 

missionaries  are  compelled  to  leave  them,  until 
only  one  remains.  With  all  the  tremendous  strain 
and  anxiety  we  see  the  ladies  bravely  bearing  up 
for  the  sake  of  husband  and  children,  but  we  also 
see  the  husbands  distressed  on  account  of  wife  and 
little  ones. 

Towards  the  close  there  was  one  ray  of  hope — 
the  offer  of  an  escort  to  the  coast.  Treachery  was 
suspected  but  (as  we  learnt  from  other  sources) 
they  were  compelled  to  accept  the  offer,  and  killed 
on  the  roadside  soon  after  starting. 

"Fen  Chod  Fu,  Shansi. 

"  It  was  about  1st  June  that  we  began  to  hear 
vague  rumours  of  unusual  unrest  and  talk  against 
the  foreigners  and  Church.  This  was  caused  by 
the  continued  drought,  which  was  already  being 
felt  in  the  scarcity  of  food,  and  also  by  the  lack  of 
any  useful  employment  for  the  people,  so  that  they 
could  congregate  in  the  streets  and  talk  over 
grievances,  seeking  to  find  a  reason  why  this 
suffering  should  come  upon  them. 

"  Various  stories  were  set  afloat  as  to  the  power 
of  the  missionaries  to  prevent  rain,  ascribing 
almost  superhuman  strength  in  the  way  of  con- 
trolling the  elements.  Clouds  were  constantly 
being  driven  away  by  fierce  winds,  which  led  to  the 
story — thoroughly  believed  by  all  the  people — 
that  we  went  into  our  upper  rooms  and  drove  the 
clouds  back  by  fanning  with  all  our  might.  The 
stor}'-  was  changed  as  regards  the  T'ai  Yiian  Fu 


270  Fire  and  Sword  in  Shansi 

missionaries,  that  they  were  naked  when  doing  the 
fanning. 

"About  15th  June  the  first  Boxers  made  their 
appearance  in  our  city,  not  in  great  numbers,  but 
only  two,  who  it  was  said  had  come  to  organise 
the  young  men  of  our  city,  and  prepare  for  the 
great  onslaught  against  the  foreigners  and  their 
religion.  They  were  not  successful  in  getting  the 
people  to  take  it  up  at  first,  so  they  began  with 
boys  ten  to  twelve  years  of  age.  The  so-called 
mysteries  connected  with  the  organisation  appeals 
very  strongly  to  a  people  so  full  of  superstition  as 
these,  and  after  a  few  days  it  grew  very  rapidly. 
The  drill,  if  it  may  be  called  so,  consists  in  the  boy 
repeating  four  short  lines  of  some  mystic  words, 
and  bowing  to  the  south  and  falling  backwards, 
when  he  goes  into  a  trance,  remaining  lying  on  his 
back  for  an  indefinite  time,  when  he  rises  and  is 
endowed  with  wonderful  strength — boys  of  twelve 
being  strong  as  men.  They  brandish  swords  and 
spears,  not  seeming  to  try  to  be  skilful  in  handling 
them,  but  merely  to  show  strength  and  place  them- 
selves under  the  power  of  their  symbols.  They 
claim  to  be  invulnerable,  though,  as  many  of  them 
have  been  killed,  it  would  seem  that  delusion  would 
soon  be  dispelled. 

"  Large  crowds  gather  to  witness  their  perform- 
ance, and  all  attribute  supernatural  power  to  them. 
Soon  threatening  placards  against  all  connected 
with  the  Church  as  well  as  foreigners  were  posted 
up  in  different  parts  of  the  city,  and  created  some 
excitement.     The  magistrate   at   first   seemed  to 


Memorials  and  Last  Letters  271 

desire  to  protect  us  and  the  Church,  issuing  a 
proclamation  against  them  (the  Boxers),  but  after- 
wards revoking  it,  no  doubt  at  the  instigation  of 
the  anti-foreign  Governor  at  T'ai  Yiian  Fu,  and 
giving  people  permission  to  organise  bands.  This 
made  them  very  bold.  Christians  were  insulted 
on  the  streets,  and  told  their  time  was  about  at 
hand.  Missionaries  were  plainly  told  they  were 
to  be  killed.      Times  were  very  critical. 

"  24M  June. — Mr.  Atwater  and  I  sent  our  cards 
to  the  magistrate,  asking  for  an  interview.  A 
time  was  appointed  —  the  same  day  in  the 
afternoon — to  receive  us.  We  were  promised 
proclamations  warning  the  people  against  per- 
secuting Christians  or  harming  foreigners,  and 
were  assured  there  was  no  danger  from  the  people 
— *  it  was  only  talk  with  them.'  The  proclama- 
tion was  not  issued,  and  the  next  day  our  man 
went  to  the  yamen  on  business,  where  he  was 
shown  a  letter  from  the  T'ai  Yiian  Governor 
containing  an  account  of  the  success  of  the  Boxers 
in  Chihli  and  Shantung,  and  saying  they  had  been 
received  as  soldiers  by  the  Government  of  Peking, 
where  they  with  the  regulars  had  defeated  the 
foreign  troops  and  had  everything  their  own  way. 
This  is  no  doubt  untrue,  but  the  people  believe  it, 
and  the  effect  is  the  same  for  the  time  as  though  true 
— as  no  doubt  the  authorities  thought  it  would  be. 

"  Rumours  of  the  condition  of  missionaries  in 
adjacent  cities  and  counties  are  vague,  but  such 
as  we  have  show  the  critical  condition  we  are 
in.     T'ai  Ku  friends  have  had  more  trouble  than 


272  Fire  and  Sword  in  ShansI 

we  thus  far,  but  not  so  many  Boxers.  Miss 
Partridge  is  living  alone  at  Li  Man,  not  being 
willing  to  leave  her  schoolgirls  to  the  mercy  of  a 
mob.  Such  bravery  and  devotion  to  her  work 
cannot  be  too  highly  spoken  of.  \^N.B. — A  few 
days  after  this  was  written  Miss  Partridge  was 
compelled  to  dismiss  her  school  and  take  refuge 
with  the  other  missionaries  at  T'ai  Ku.  They 
were  all  massacred  on  31st  July. — E.  H.  E.]  Mr. 
Davis  is  alone  at  Jen  Tsuen,  being  determined  to 
fight  it  out  on  that  line.  Writes  that  his  revolver 
is  in  good  condition,  and  thinks  he  can  make  a 
mob  sick.  [^N.B. — He,  too,  had  to  take  refuge 
at  T'ai  Ku,  and  fell  with  the  others  on  31st 
July. — E.  H.  E.]  At  Ping  Yao— China  Inland 
Mission — rumoured  that  the  friends  were  robbed 
on  the  25  th,  and  were  gone  to  the  yamen.  At 
Chieh  Hsiu — China  Inland  Mission — five  young 
ladies  are  staying  in  the  city  and  bravely  facing 
the  danger.  Letters  from  them  on  the  27th  show 
a  brave  spirit,  and  speak  of  their  not  being  fearful. 
[A^.^. — The  missionaries  from  both  these  stations 
subsequently  escaped  to  the  coast,  but  suffered 
terribly  on  their  journey. — E.  H.  E.]  At  Hsiao  Ih 
— China  Inland  Mission — two  single  women  are 
staying,  and  seem  to  have  no  hesitancy  in  staying 
by  the  stuff.  [A''.^. — These  two  ladies —  Miss 
Whitchurch  and  Miss  Searell — were  massacred 
a  few  days  later  (30th  June)  with  great  barbarity. 
— E.  H.  E,]  Mr.  Ogren  of  Yung  Ning  Chou 
is  expected  in  Fen  Chou  Fu  with  his  wife 
in    a    few  days.     Do    not    know  whether    he    is 


Memorials  and  Last  Letters  273 

driven  out  or  not.  [N.B. — The  story  of  Mrs. 
Ogren's  marvellous  escape  after  untold  hardships 
has  already  been  published.  Her  husband  died 
from  injuries  received  at  the  hands  of  Boxers. — 
E.  H.  E.]  No  late  reliable  news  from  T'ai  Yiian 
Fu  or  the  south.  Trust  we  may  hear  soon. 
News  from  the  coast  vague  and  unreliable.  We 
are  in  trying  times. 

"25  tk  June. — Letter  received  at  y^men  from 
Governor. 

"  26th  June. — Last  night  Mr.  Lundgren,  who  is 
staying  with  us,  came  to  the  door  of  our  room 
and  said  they  were  destroying  the  chapel.  I 
hastily  arose,  buckled  on  my  armour,  and  went 
down,  where  I  found  him  with  his  shot-gun  ready 
to  do  battle  for  the  cause.  We  went  over  to  the 
chapel,  marching  *  quick  step,'  *  trail  arms,'  where 
we  found  everyone  in  profound  slumber.  The 
noises  Mr.  Lundgren  heard  v/ere  made  by  men  in 
a  court  back  of  us,  where  they  were  drawing 
water  and  irrigating  their  fields. 

"  2ytk  June. — Last  night  the  drums  were  beaten 
and  bugles  blown  at  the  barracks  outside  the  city 
about  midnight,  an  unusual  time  for  such  per- 
formances. Several  Christians  staying  on  Dr. 
Atwood's  place  thought  the  attack  had  begun,  and 
ran — some  on  to  the  city  wall,  some  over  to  Mr. 
Atwater's,  and  some  tried  to  get  outside  the  city. 
They  were  in  a  nervous  condition  all  the  next  day. 

"  22>th  June. — Last  night  word  came  from  the 
magistrates  that  we  must  be  careful  and  not  go 
outside  our  compound  more  than  can  be  avoided. 
18 


2  74  Fire  and  Sword  in  Shansi 

We  think  it  best  to  heed  his  counsel,  though  we 
have  little  reason  to  believe  him  kindly  disposed 
towards  us.  If  we  do  anything  counter  to  his 
wishes,  it  will  give  him  a  good  excuse  for  not 
giving  us  any  protection.  He  claims  he  cannot 
control  the  people.  A  magistrate's  duty  seems  to 
be  to  rule  the  people  when  they  want  to  be  ruled. 
Otherwise  he  must  keep  still. 

"  To-day  we  have  packed  two  trunks  with  the 
things  we  most  desire  to  save,  and,  wrapping 
them  in  oilcloth,  have  buried  them  where  we 
think  the  people  cannot  find  them.  We  expect 
our  places  will  be  looted,  and  in  our  extremity  do 
not  consider  it  important  whether  they  are  or  not. 
We  shall  not  resist  if  they  only  take  our  goods. 
If  they  attempt  violence  we  shall  fight  if  God 
gives  us  strength,  unless  they  are  better  organised 
than  now  appears.  We  have  a  good  repeating 
rifle,  a  shot-gun,  and  revolver.  Mr.  Lundgren  is 
with  us.  If  Mr.  Atwater  should  come  to  this 
place  we  should  be  three  men  against  thousands. 
But  our  trust  is  in  One  to  whom  numbers  are  of 
no  importance  whatever.  We  are  resigned  and 
feel  very  peaceful,  waiting  till  the  Lord  sees  fit  to 
move.  When  that  time  comes,  the  counsel  of 
the  wicked  shall  come  to  nought. 

"  Christians  have  in  the  main  shown  an  excellent 
spirit.  Though  much  excited  and  fearful,  they  are 
still  true.  Perhaps  God  is  giving  us  this  trial  to  let 
us  see  that  He  has  some  true  loyal  people  in  Fen 
Chou  Fu.  We  have  not  heard  of  any  recanting, 
though  there  has  been  no  actual  persecution  as 


Memorials  and  Last  Letters  275 

yet  —  only  threats.  But  they  all  know  that,  if 
they  were  to  say  they  would  worship  their  false 
gods  and  renounce  their  Christianity,  all  danger 
would  be  over  for  them.  May  our  heavenly 
Father  abundantly  reward  their  devotion  ! 

"  2gth  June. — Last  night  was  a  time  of  sore 
trial.  Just  before  dark  one  of  the  servants  came 
and  told  us  that  Mr.  Atwater's  house  had  been 
surrounded  by  a  mob.  Mr.  Han  (Chinese)  at 
once  went  to  the  magistrate,  who  acted  very 
promptly,  himself  going  out  and  arresting  men. 
The  house  was  entered  and  much  of  the  furniture 
destroyed.  Strange  to  say,  not  many  things  were 
stolen.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Atwater  with  their  two 
children  were  not  harmed,  though  in  great  danger. 
Before  the  mob  entered  their  court  they  opened 
the  gate  and  passed  out  through  a  large  crowd  of 
people,  who,  strange  to  say,  offered  them  no 
violence.  They  went  to  the  yamen  (official's 
residence),  where  they  were  refused  admission, 
though  the  magistrate  quickly  restored  order  at 
their  home,  to  which  they  returned.  They  thought 
it  best  to  come  over  to  our  place  soon  after,  arriv- 
ing about  twelve  o'clock  (midnight).  The  Lord 
did  indeed  in  mercy  help  them.  Too  much  praise 
cannot  be  given  to  our  Christians  for  the  courage 
and  devotion  shown.  They  did  not  hesitate  to 
face  the  mob,  and  were  ready  to  carry  word  back 
and  forth  without  hesitating.  The  Lord  be 
praised  !  Our  work  has  not  been  in  vain.  Such 
witnessing  for  the  truth  is  itself  evidence  of  the 
power  of  the  gospel. 


276  Fire  and  Sword  in  Shansi 

"  Word  has  just  come — nine  o'clock  a.m. — that 
a  foreigner  has  been  killed  at  a  village  10  *  li ' 
from  the  city.  We  hope  it  is  but  a  rumour,  but, 
if  true,  we  cannot  imagine  who  it  would  be  that 
would  be  coming  this  way  when  the  foreigners 
are  going  to  T'ai  YUan  Fu,  the  opposite  direction. 
Mr.  Davis  in  his  last  letter  spoke  of  coming  to 
Fen  Chou  Fu,  not  as  indicating  a  purpose,  but  as 
something  that  might  happen.  Can  it  be  it  is  he  ? 
We  can  only  wait  and  see, 

"  Four  o'clock. — Still  no  certain  word  from  the 
village  10  Mi'  out.  Only  reported  that  it  is  not 
certain  whether  it  is  a  foreigner  or  Chinaman.  It 
seems  to  be  certain  it  is  a  Christian.  What  will 
be  the  outcome?  We  are  now  more  cheerful 
than  we  were  this  morning.  We  are,  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Atwater  and  the  two  children  (Bertha  and 
Celia),  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Lundgren,  and  Miss  Eldred 
of  the  China  Inland  Mission.  \_N.B. — The  writer 
takes  it  for  granted  that  it  is  known  that  he  and 
his  wife  and  little  daughter,  Florence,  are  among 
the  number.] 

"  Five  o'clock. — The  helper,  Mr.  Han,  has  just 
come  in.  He  went  to  the  village  with  the  magis- 
trate to  investigate  about  the  murder.  The  man 
proved  to  be  an  opium  sot — killed  in  all  proba- 
bility for  the  sake  of  creating  excitement  and 
feeling  against  the  foreigners.  The  report  that 
the  murdered  man  was  a  foreigner  was  circulated, 
no  doubt,  to  impress  the  people,  and  show  them 
that  foreigners  may  be  killed  with  impunity. 
The  magistrate   has    arrested    and  punished  five 


Memorials  and  Last  Letters  277 

men  and  three  women  of  the  village.  The  men 
were  given  1000  strokes  each.  One  was  beaten 
with  a  spade  till  he  was  all  a  pulp.  \N.B. — It 
has  since  been  ascertained  that  this  was  the 
murdered  opium  sot,  a  stranger  in  the  village.  He 
was  attacked  by  villagers  under  the  excitement  of 
the  Boxers. — E.  H.  E.]  The  women  were  each 
beaten  300  strokes  and  driven  through  the  streets, 
as  they  claimed  to  be  possessed  with  devils  and 
stirred  up  the  people.  This  murder  is  directly 
attributable  to  the  I  Ho  Chuan  (Boxers),  and  we 
hope  will  make  the  more  sensible  of  the  people 
see  where  their  infatuation  is  leading  them. 

"  30^/^  June. — Last  night  was  quiet.  In  the 
evening  we  assembled  the  Christians  on  the  two 
places  and  held  a  prayer  -  meeting.  The  true 
spirit  of  self-sacrifice  and  devotion  to  Christ  was 
shown.  Surely  God  will  use  this  trouble  to 
strengthen  His  Church.  Thank  God  for  this 
manifestation  of  His  love ! 

"  The  magistrate  has  shown  a  readiness  to  punish 
offenders  of  the  law,  which  may  have  a  wholesome 
effect.  He  seems  to  see  the  danger  of  his  own 
position,  and  I  expect  sees  rebellion  in  the  near 
future.  Some  soldiers  who  were  guarding  our 
place  last  night  said  the  magistrate  said  to  them, 
'  We  and  the  foreigners  stand  or  fall  together.' 
They  realise  that  it  is  not  to  continue  for  a  long 
time  as  merely  a  fight  against  foreigners,  but  the 
time  will  soon  come  when  the  whole  country  will 
be  in  a  state  of  anarchy.  A  good  rain  would 
bring  peace.     But  we    know  our    Father  knows 


278  Fire  and  Sword  in  Shansi 

when  things  have  come  to  where  He  in  His 
wisdom  wishes  to  bring  them.  His  arm  will  be 
stretched  out  to  save. 

"  The  ladies  of  our  party  are  very  brave,  and 
bearing  up  wonderfully.  But  the  strain  is  tre- 
mendous. The  suspense  over  the  rumour  that  a 
foreigner  had  been  murdered  outside  the  city  was 
almost  more  than  we  could  bear,  coming  as  it  did 
just  after  the  mob  of  the  evening  before. 

"  i^^  July. — Last  night  was  another  of  quiet, 
though  about  one  o'clock  there  was  a  feeling 
among  the  servants  —  no  one  knows  how  it 
originated — that  Mr.  Atwater's  place  was  being 
burned ;  but  it  was  a  false  alarm.  Their  cook 
came  over  this  morning  saying  all  was  quiet. 
This  morning  it  is  raining.  Oh  for  copious 
showers  !  We  now  only  live  from  hour  to  hour ; 
but  the  Lord  has  wonderfully  kept  us  in  peace, 
so  that  we  can  rest  at  night  with  a  feeling  of 
security  in  Him. 

"  2nd  July. — Last  evening  word  came  that  a 
company  of  Boxers  had  come  from  Hsiao  Ih  and 
were  soon  to  attack  us.  Our  Christians  remained 
with  us  as  long  as  there  was  anything  they  could 
do,  but  late  in  the  evening  left  except  one  or  two. 
We  considered  all  over  and  prepared  for  the 
worst.  At  the  request  of  the  ladies  it  was  de- 
cided that  we  do  not  use  any  means  of  defence, 
and  the  guns  were  put  away.  After  consideration, 
I  felt  convinced  we  were  not  doing  right  to  let 
our  wives  and  children  perish  without  an  effort 
to  save  them.      So  we  again  prepared  to  sell  our 


Memorials  and  Last  Letters  279 

lives  as  dearly  as  possible.  Unexpectedly  they 
did  not  come,  but  it  was  a  night  of  intense  sus- 
pense. To-day  was  very  trying  also.  Reported 
they  would  surely  come  immediately  after  dinner. 
About  four  o'clock  word  was  brought  that  the  bad 
talk  in  the  city  had  greatly  decreased — that  the 
report  of  Boxers  coming  from  Hsiao  Ih  to  destroy 
us  was  untrue.  The  Lord  reigns.  He  will  work 
His  will. 

"  Z^'d  Jzily. — Last  night  was  very  quiet.  We 
keep  watch  every  night,  and  shall  for  some  time ; 
but  this  is  the  quietest  day  we  have  had  for  some 
time.  The  two  ladies  at  Hsiao  Ih  were  killed. 
There  seems  to  be  no  doubt  of  it  now.  They 
were  ripe  for  heaven.  But  how  cruel  of  the 
people  for  whom  they  had  laboured  so  faithfully ! 
Poor  China  !  She  is  laying  up  a  store  of  future 
suffering  for  herself.  We  pray  that  whatever  is 
done  may  be  for  the  advancement  of  God's 
kingdom. 

"  Six  o'clock. — A  glorious  shower  of  rain.  It 
will  do  immense  good,  and  many  of  the  people 
will  have  work  to  do,  so  that  their  minds  will  be 
taken  up  with  something  else  besides  destroying 
foreigners.  While  it  was  raining  we  sang  '  Praise 
God,  from  whom  all  blessings  flow.' 

"  2,rd  and  ^th  July. — All  peaceful.  It  seems 
the  Lord  has  filled  the  people  with  a  fear  of  us. 
Rumoured  in  the  city  that  there  were  seventy 
foreigners  armed  with  all  kinds  of  guns  on  our 
place,  and  were  ready  to  take  the  city  and  destroy 
the  *  I    Ho    Chuan '  (Boxers).       The  magistrates 


2  8o  Fire  and  Sword  in  Shansi 

sent  out  word  that  English  and  American 
missionaries  were  to  be  protected,  which  had  a 
good  effect.  He  is  doing  all  he  can  for  us.  A 
good  shower  of  rain  to-day.  May  the  Lord  send 
copious  showers ! 

"4/^  {f  ^tJi)  July. — Another  quiet  day.  We 
keep  watch  by  night  by  relief.  How  long  is  it 
to  continue  ?  Ladies  bearing  up  bravely,  but  the 
strain  is  very  great.  To-day  another  small  shower 
of  rain.  Early  in  the  day  reported  that  a  day  has 
been  set  when  we  are  to  be  attacked —  1 4th  inst. ; 
but,  as  that  has  been  so  often  decided  on  and 
given  up,  it  does  not  cause  the  anxiety  it  once  did. 

"  Later. — Rumoured  that  the  talk  on  the  streets 
was  changing  in  our  favour,  but  nothing  is  certain. 
I  think  we  owe  our  safety  thus  far  under  God  to 
the  bold  stand  we  have  taken.  They  know  we 
are  ready  to  fight  for  our  lives.  We  believe  we 
are  justified  in  taking  this  stand,  though  no  doubt 
we  shall  be  condemned  by  some  of  our  fellow- 
missionaries.  *  Let  every  man  be  fully  persuaded 
in  his  own  mind.' 

"  6th  July. — Another  quiet  night.  Yesterday 
a  proclamation  was  issued  by  our  magistrate 
asking  Christians  to  recant,  saying  it  would  bring 
peace  if  they  would  but  yield  at  the  time  till  the 
excitement  dies  out.  He — the  magistrate — does 
not  understand  how  great  a  matter  it  is  to  turn 
from  the  gospel  to  serve  idols.  The  proclama- 
tion also  stated  that  foreigners  were  to  be 
protected ;  but  what  comfort  can  it  be  to  us  if  our 
Christians  are  to  pay  the  price  for  us  ?     There  is 


Memorials  and  Last  Letters  281 

one  thing  in  their  favour:  they  can  hide  for  a 
few  months  till  the  storm  blows  over,  and  no  one 
would  know  they  are  Christians,  but  we  would  be 
known  wherever  we  go.  It  is  said  Hung  Tung 
— three  days  south — is  quiet,  and  Mr.  Lutley  has 
returned  to  his  house.  Word  on  the  street  that 
Chieh  Hsiu  is  also  quiet.  Trust  it  may  be  true. 
We  hear  the  Boxers  have  been  driven  out  of 
Hsiao  Ih — 10  miles  east — by  the  vigorous  work 
of  the  magistrate.  Letters  to-day  from  T'ai  Ku. 
Friends  there  are,  all  in  the  city,  but  in  the  same 
straits  as  ourselves.  It  is  good  to  hear  from 
them  again.  Heh  Kou  brought  the  letters,  and 
seemed  glad  to  get  back  to  us.  It  is  good  to 
have  him  here,  as  he  will  be  an  encouragement 
to  the  Christians.  T'ai  Yuan  Fu  friends  on  Mr. 
Farthing's  place.     Miss  Coombs  killed. 

"  7^/^  July.  —  Last  night  quiet.  Reported  the 
Boxers  are  to  gather  here  from  surrounding  districts 
and  attack  us  in  force.  We  are  strengthening  our 
defences. 

"  Zth  to  \^th  July. — Nothing  of  importance  for 
these  few  days  except  the  vigorous  work  of 
magistrate  in  punishing  Boxers.  Also  a  pro- 
clamation ordering  all  Christians  to  go  to  the 
temples  and  worship  their  false  gods.  It  is  good 
to  see  how  they  disregard  the  proclamation. 
There  are  now  seventeen  Christians  on  this  place 
ready  to  fight  for  their  lives,  but  say  they  will  die 
rather  than  give  up  their  belief  in  Christ.  Some 
are  yet  in  their  villages,  standing  firm  for  their 
faith.     May  the  Lord  help  them  ! 


282  Fire  and  Sword  in  Shansi 

"  Yesterday  was  the  day  set  apart  for  a  general 
assault  on  the  foreigners  and  Christians,  but  it 
passed  off  without  unusual  excitement.  Quite  a 
crowd  of  men  gathered  in  front  of  our  place  in 
the  evening,  but  proved  to  be  only  neighbours  and 
merchants  of  the  city  who  had  heard  we  were  to 
be  attacked,  and  had  come  to  see  the  ruin  of  our 
place!  The  three  yamen  men  went  out  and  ordered 
them  to  disperse,  which  they  did  without  trouble. 

"  Story  circulated  that  we  had  hired  our  cook 
to  get  men  to  go  to  different  houses  in  the  city 
and  write  the  character  *  ten '  ( + )  on  the  door, 
indicating  that  within  ten  days  some  calamity 
would  come  to  that  house.  His  wife  and  father- 
in-law  and  family  have  been  taken  to  the  yamen, 
where  the  case  is  to  be  tried.  It  has  created  a  great 
deal  of  excitement,  and  was  no  doubt  started  for 
that  very  purpose.  Trust  the  magistrate  will  get 
at  the  truth  and  punish  the  offenders.  How  silly 
the  people  are  in  their  superstitions !  .  .  . 

^^  i^th  July  {Sunday). — Over  thirty  at  service 
this  morning.  It  is  good  to  see  so  many  who, 
notwithstanding  the  danger,  are  ready  to  come  to 
worship,  and  in  fact  stay  on  the  place,  when  they 
might  be  in  greater  safety  by  going  away  where 
they  are  not  known. 

"  Story  told  us  of  the  fears  of  the  people. 
Horsemen  had  been  heard  at  dead  of  night  riding 
furiously  up  and  down  the  streets  of  the  city. 
Perhaps  this  had  led  to  the  belief  that  sixty  more 
foreigners  have  come  into  our  compound.  May 
the  Lord  cause  a  great  fear  to  come  upon  them  ! 


The  old  Alis.siiiii   House,  Shou  YaiiL;   llsien. 


Siaiting  for  a   Picnic — Shou  Vang  Hsien. 
Wf.I. LESLEY  \V.    PicOTT  (X),   martyred  91I1  July   1900. 


Memorials  and  Last  Letters  283 

'^  i6tk  July. — To-day  letter  from  Mr.  Ogren 
tells  us  the  magistrate  of  his  city  has  found  it 
impossible  to  protect  him,  and  has  asked  him  to 
leave.  He  started  on  the  13th  for  the  Yellow 
River.  It  is  a  dangerous  plan,  but  we  hope  he 
may  be  able  to  accomplish  it.  Rumoured  that 
the  Governor  has  sent  word  that  the  foreigners 
are  to  be  protected.  The  word  is  said  to  have 
been  sent  from  Peking.  Rumoured  that  the 
Catholics  of  Wen  Shui  Hsien  have  been  fighting 
the  Boxers. 

"  Here  things  are  remarkably  quiet.  A  light 
rain  has  been  falling  most  of  the  day. 

"lythjuly. — Still  all  quiet.  No  bad  talk  on 
the  streets  that  we  can  hear  of.  It  is  almost  too 
quiet  to  continue.  None  of  our  Christians  have 
as  yet  been  molested  to  any  extent.  May  the 
Lord  keep  them  from  this  suffering ! 

"  Ten  o'clock  p.m. — Word  just  in  from  T'ai  Ku 
that  T'ai  Yiian  Fu  and  Shou  Yang  friends,  who 
had  gone  to  that  city,  were  all  killed  while  on 
their  way  to  the  Fut'ai's  yamen.  Later  reports 
say  but  one  man  and  one  woman  killed.  Hard 
to  say  which  report  is  correct.  Still  we  are  in 
the  hands  of  God,  and  must  not  despair.  He  is 
above  all.  T'ai  Ku  friends  are  still  safe,  but  feel 
they  are  in  much  danger — are  thinking  of  trying 
to  escape  to  the  hills.  Hope  they  will  not  try  it. 
It  seems  to  me  the  safest  place  is  in  our  own  home. 

"  1 8//^  July. — Still  very  quiet.  Last  night,  men 
from  the  yamen  told  us  it  was  the  Catholic  place 
at  T'ai  Yiian   Fu  that  had  been   destroyed.     But 


284  Fire  and  Sword  in  Shansi 

this  evening's  word  on  the  street  is  that  it  was  the 
foreigners  residing  in  the  city  that  had  been  killed. 
What  are  we  to  believe?  Word  also  came  to- 
day that  the  Governor  of  the  province  had  been 
shot  in  the  trouble  there  on  the  14th  or  15  th. 
We  must  still  feel  we  are  in  the  hands  of  a  loving 
heavenly  Father. 

"  I  gth  July. — Still  very  quiet.  Heh  Kou  started 
to-day  for  T'ai  Ku  to  see  if  he  can  get  some 
silver  for  us.  He  was  very  willing  to  go,  but  we 
shall  feel  very  anxious  about  him  until  his  return. 
It  is  very  dangerous  travelling,  not  only  for 
Christians,  but  for  anyone  who  may  be  carrying 
money.  Reported  to-day  that  Hei  Fu  T'ang  is 
writing  out  an  explanation  of  his  position,  and 
asking  to  be  recognised  as  a  Confucianist  in  the 
future  without  any  connection  with  the  Christian 
Church !  We  have  thought  him  one  of  our  best 
members.  Trust  his  example  will  not  influence 
others.  Wang  Hsi  Mien  has  come  in  to-day, 
which  has  cheered  us  up.  Says  he  will  stay  here 
through  it  all  now. 

"Several  Catholics  have  been  killed  at  Wen 
Shui,  20  miles  north.  Another  man  from  Tientsin 
says  the  Boxers  have  degenerated  into  robbers 
there,  and  cannot  be  controlled.  Foreign  soldiers 
masters  of  the  situation. 

"  20th  July. — Quiet  night.  We  with  the  Chinese 
Christians  keep  watch  every  night.  Men  from  the 
yamen  here  all  the  time.  Christians  who  are  not 
members  of  the  Fen  Chou  Fu  Church  ordered  to  go 
to  their  own  districts. 


Memorials  and  Last  Letters  285 

"  To-day  a  proclamation  was  posted  in  the  court 
asking  the  Church  members  to  recant,  and  threat- 
ening, if  they  did  not,  to  send  the  missionaries 
out  of  the  district.  It  is  hard  to  understand  the 
magistrate's  meaning.  This  p.m.  an  order  came 
for  all  the  Christians  from  Shih  Ta — a  village  5 
'  li '  from  the  city — to  go  to  the  yamen  and  tell 
the  reason  why  they  have  not  obeyed  the  former 
proclamation.  It  was  good  to  see  how  calmly 
and  resignedly  they  went  May  our  heavenly 
Father  give  them  courage  and  wisdom  before  the 
magistrate !  We  have  just  had  a  prayer-meeting 
for  them. 

"4.30 /.7«. — Mr.  Han  has  just  returned  from 
the  yamen.  Four  of  the  Christians  from  Shih  Ta 
were  beaten  100  to  300  stripes,  and  led  off  to  the 
temple  and  made  to  bow  to  the  idols.  We  must 
not  judge  them  too  harshly.  It  was  a  great 
temptation,  and  was  put  to  them  in  the  form  of 
law.  I  think  the  magistrate  did  it  to  prevent 
their  being  harmed  by  a  mob.  .  .  .  After  hearing 
Mr,  Han's  report,  we  kneeled  down  while  he  led 
in  prayer  asking  for  strength  for  all  of  us  to  bear 
our  burdens. 

"  2ist  July. — Servants  and  Christians  going 
away  to  -  day,  except  Fei,  Han,  and  Jen,  with 
perhaps  one  or  two  of  the  servants.  It  is  said 
the  Christians  who  were  punished  yesterday  did 
not  recant,  but  received  their  punishment  in  silence, 
and  were  ordered  not  to  return  to  us.  We  do  not 
know  what  we  are  to  look  forward  to.  God 
reigns. 


286  Fire  and  Sword  in  Shansi 

"  22nd  and  2%rd  July. — Yesterday  a  very  quiet 
day.  We  did  not  hold  our  usual  Sabbath  Chinese 
worship  because  of  the  Mandarin's  proclamation. 
There  are  various  rumours  afloat — '  Governor 
gone  to  Shou  Yang  to  destroy  the  Catholics.' 
'  Governor  gone  to  Peking,  and  his  going  to  Shou 
Yang  was  only  a  pretence  to  get  away  from  T'ai 
Yiian  Fu.'  '  He  is  going  to  destroy  the  Catho- 
lics in  Shou  Yang  and  Yu  Tzu,  and  then  take 
up  the  work  of  exterminating  the  Protestants  at 
T'ai  Ku  and  Fen  Chou  Fu.'  It  seems  almost  in- 
credible that  a  high  officer  should  lend  himself 
personally  to  such  work. 

"  Yesterday  came  rumour  of  an  agreement  of 
peace  with  foreign  nations.  Trust  God  will  give 
the  nations  wisdom  to  deal  with  the  question  so 
as  to  form  a  permanent  settlement.  Rumour 
that  Li  Hung  Chang  has  been  called  to  the 
Viceroy's  place  in  Chihli. 

''  2d^th  July. — Still  rumours  of  articles  of  peace 
being  signed.  Things  very  quiet  at  present, 
though  we  realise  the  danger  is  by  no  means  over. 
A  Hsiu  Tsai  (graduate  of  the  first  degree),  in 
yesterday,  told  us  that  Heaven  had  sent  myriads 
of  angels  to  fight  for  China.  He  thoroughly 
believes  it.  Mr.  Atwater  got  his  (stolen)  things 
out  of  pawn  by  paying  30,480  cash.  We  can 
ill  spare  that  sum  now,  but  it  was  all  we  could  do. 

"  Two  '  chai  -  ren  '  (yamen  -  runners)  went  to 
Chang  Pei  Tang's  village  to  catch  him,  but  he  had 
hired  the  villagers  to  help  him  get  away,  going 
across   the  border  into   Hsiao   Ih    Hsien.     They 


Memorials  and  Last  Letters  287 

went  there  after  him,  but  were  arrested  as  bad  men 
and  taken  to  the  yamen.  We  do  not  know  how 
the  matter  will  terminate. 

"  Word  of  a  secret  letter  from  Governor  of  pro- 
vince saying  that  the  foreigners  are  to  be  protected 
if  they  do  not  rebel  against  the  Government.  Hard 
to  understand  the  meaning  of  such  orders. 

^^  2^th  July. —  Quiet  night.  Things  have  not 
been  so  apparently  peaceful  since  long  before  the 
first  outbreak.  We  are  beginning  to  have  more 
hope  that  the  T'ai  Yuan  Fu  friends  have  not  been 
made  away  with.  Everything  goes  by  rumours. 
No  word  that  can  be  depended  on. 

"  26th  Jtily. — Still  quiet.  Heh  Kou  is  afraid 
he  will  get  into  trouble  by  his  activity  in  helping 
us,  though  he  does  not  hesitate  to  give  us  all  the 
help  he  can.  \^N.B. — When  the  crisis  came  this 
man  suffered  very  severely,  being  beaten  unmer- 
cifully and  then  put  in  prison  because  he  would 
not  reveal  the  names  of  other  Christians.  He 
was  subsequently  released. — E.  H.  E.]  Air  filled 
with  rumours.  We  do  not  know  what  to  expect. 
May  God  help  us  to  be  brave ! 

"  The  Fu  magistrate  (Prefect)  heard  a  rumour 
that  there  were  eight  hundred  foreigners  on  our 
place.  Sent  to  the  Hsien  magistrate  (Sub-Prefect) 
to  know  if  it  was  true.  As  we  have  yamen-runners 
on  the  place  all  the  time,  it  was  not  hard  for  the 
magistrate  to  reply  that  there  was  no  truth  in  the 
matter.  These  stories  are  set  going  by  bad  men  to 
create  excitement  against  us.  Rumoured  that  the 
Governor  is  at  Hsu  Kou  with  three  hundred  soldiers 


288  Fire  and  Sword  in  Shansi 

and  two  hundred  Boxers  on  his  tour  of  extermi- 
nation. From  Hsu  Kou  he  is  to  go  to  T'ai  Ku ; 
T'ai  Ku  to  Ping  Yao,  and  on  to  Fen  Chou  Fu  ! 

"  2'jtJi  July. — New  magistrate  has  arrived  to  take 
the  place  of  the  regular  one,  in  order  that  he  may 
go  to  T'ai  Yiian  Fu  to  take  part  in  the  examination. 
Reported  yesterday  that,  in  view  of  the  disturbed 
condition  of  the  country,  no  examinations  would 
be  held.  So  the  old  magistrate  remains  here,  but 
the  new  has  the  office  till  further  orders  from  T'ai 
Yiian  Fu.  Trust  he  will  rule  with  a  firm  hand,  as 
nothing  else  will  keep  the  people  under.  To-day 
magistrate  went  out  to  a  village  about  30  'H' 
from  the  village,  taking  some  '  ya-ih  '  (underlings) 
with  him,  to  arrest  some  Catholics,  who  are  numer- 
ous there.  It  is  said  one  man — Catholic — was 
badly  hurt  with  a  sword.  The  men  are  to  be 
examined  to-morrow. 

"  The  Fu  magistrate  (Prefect)  died  to-day.  We 
are  anxious  to  see  who  will  take  his  place. 

^^  22>th  July. — Still  all  quiet.  Several  more  of 
the  Christians,  becoming  frightened  at  the  arrest 
of  Catholics,  have  arranged  to  leave  the  Church. 
It  now  seems  that  our  work  is  to  be  altogether 
destroyed. 

"  Last  night  a  proclamation  from  the  Governor 
was  posted,  proposing  more  stringent  measures 
against  Christians,  and  saying  that  the  missionaries 
if  found  doing  anything  wrong  would  be  killed. 
It  may  be  an  interesting  question  as  to  what  he 
would  consider  wrong.  Or  are  the  people  to 
decide  for  themselves  and  act  accordingly? 


Memorials  and  Last  Letters  289 

"  2<^th  July. — Yesterday  evening  word  was 
brought  us  that  we  are  to  be  escorted  to  the 
coast,  by  order  of  the  Emperor.  We  have  very 
little  faith  in  it.  It  may  be  but  a  blind  to  put 
us  off  our  guard.  The  proclamation  issued  the 
day  before  yesterday  says,  '  Mieh-yang  sha-kwei ' 
(destroy  the  foreigners  and  kill  the  devils). 
Nothing  can  be  plainer,  and  shows  the  Governor's 
wishes.  It  will  be  well  with  us  to  be  careful 
how  we  fall  in  with  a  plan  to  escort  us  to  the 
coast,  which  may  only  be  a  plan  to  get  us  to 
the  capital  to  kill  us. 

"  10th  July. — This  morning  the  proclamation 
was  given  us,  in  which  it  is  declared  that  Christians 
must  leave  the  Church  to  save  their  lives.  The 
foreigners  are  to  return  to  their  own  country ; 
but,  as  no  promise  is  made  for  escorting  us,  it  is 
about  the  same  as  to  say  we  are  to  be  killed. 
What  we  are  to  do  does  not  appear.  Heh  Kou 
has  gone  to  the  magistrate,  by  his  request ;  but 
although  he  has  been  gone  for  over  three  hours 
he  has  not  returned.  We  much  fear  something 
has  happened  to  him.  May  God  help  us  to 
put  our  trust  in   Him. 

"4  p.m. —  Heh  Kou  just  returned.  The 
magistrate  treated  him  very  well,  and  offers  us 
a  small  escort.  Offers  also  to  help  us  to  hire 
litters.  The  worst  matter  is  our  travelling 
expenses.  Trust  we  may  be  able  to  manage 
for  it. 

"  T)\st  July. — Plan  to  go  by  Yellow  River  given 
up.  Too  much  danger.  It  is  now  proposed 
19 


290  Fire  and  Sword  in  Shansi 

we  go  into  the  mountains  for  a  month.  Seems 
the  only  thing  to  do.  Reported  Peking  in  the 
hands  of  foreigners.  Hard  fighting  around 
Tientsin." 

Here  the  diary  suddenly  and  abruptly  ends ; 
but  the  rest  of  the  story  is  soon  told.  The  new 
Prefect  was  evidently  sent  by  the  Governor  Yii 
Hsien  with  distinct  orders  to  kill  the  foreigners, 
and  he  rapidly  developed  his  plan.  All  the 
Christians  of  the  locality  were  forced  to  quit  the 
missionaries,  leaving  only  one  to  help  them — a 
young  teacher  from  the  neighbourhood  of  Peking. 
Then  the  magistrate  demanded  that  the  mission- 
aries should  give  up  their  arms,  and  finally 
repeated  his  promise  to  send  them  under  escort 
to  the  coast.  Carts  were  provided,  and  every 
arrangement  made  for  them  to  leave  on  9th 
August.  They  started  that  morning  in  fairly 
good  spirits,  yet  not  without  some  misgivings, 
which  were  well-grounded,  for  they  had  only 
gone  some  6  miles,  when  at  a  signal  given  by 
the  leader  of  their  escort,  a  number  of  soldiers 
disguised  as  Boxers,  who  had  been  in  ambush, 
appeared  and  speedily  despatched  the  helpless 
band  of  foreigners,  consisting  of  three  men,  four 
ladies,  and  three  children.  The  one  Christian 
who  was  with  them,  being  warned  by  one  of  the 
soldier  escort,  escaped  before  they  reached  the 
fatal  spot,  but  not  before  he  had  been  despoiled 
of  everything  he  had  worth  taking — even  to  his 
shoes — by  the  escort  1     Before  leaving  the  district 


Memorials  and  Last  Letters  291 

he  ascertained  the  particulars  concerning  the 
massacre  of  the  missionaries,  and  then  made  his 
way  to  Tientsin,  which  he  reached  after  many 
vicissitudes  and  dangers. 

EXTRACTS    FROM    MRS.    CHARLES  PRICE'S  DIARY 

"Fen  Chou  Fu. 

"  30//^  June. — In  the  meantime  here  we  are. 
So  far  all  safe  and  well,  but  living  in  a  suspense 
that  cannot  be  imagined  unless  by  others  in  like 
suspense.  We  are  shut  in  this  province,  with  no 
communication  with  the  coast  for  weeks.  We 
have  no  way  of  knowing  what  the  situation  there 
is.  We  do  not  know  whether  there  is  war,  what 
nations  are  implicated  if  there  be  war;  but  we 
can  only  live  moment  by  moment,  longing  for 
something  definite.  It  gives  one  the  feeling  of 
being  caught  in  a  trap,  with  wicked  people  all 
about  us  desiring  our  extermination ;  and  the 
feeling  will  come,  in  spite  of  trying  to  be  brave 
and  hopeful,  that  the  Shansi  missionaries  may 
need  to  give  their  lives  for  the  growth  of  the 
kingdom  of  God  in  China.  There  has  been 
much  these  days  to  make  us  rejoice.  The  lead- 
ing men  in  the  Church  have  stood  firm,  and 
apparently  are  not  '  time-servers.' 

"  If  we  are  to  be  murdered,  one  can  but  pray 
that  it  may  come  quickly  and  end  our  terrible 
suspense.  Our  friends  at  home  will  have  suspense, 
but  not  such  as  ours,  when  the  heart  refuses  to 
act  properly,  and  knees  and  legs  shake  in  spite 


292  Fire  and  Sword  in  Shansi 

of  all  efforts  to  be  brave  and  quiet,  trusting  alone 
in  God.  We  do  trust  in  Him.  That  is  our 
witness.  No  matter  what  comes,  we  are  trusting 
Him,  believing  firmly  that  all  this  tumult  and 
alarm  and  real  danger,  rumours  of  wars  and 
terrible  evil,  are  only  working  out  His  infinite 
purpose  for  good  to  come  to  China.  Each  day 
we  live  we  feel  it  a  deeper  truth  that  man 
proposes  and  God  disposes.  He  has  made  the 
wrath  of  even  these  evil  people  around  us  to 
praise  Him.  The  verse  on  the  Woman's  Board 
calendar  for  yesterday — which  was  a  day  of  the 
greatest  suspense  of  our  lives,  concerned  as  to 
the  murdered  man,  as  to  what  the  *  kwan '  would 
do  for  us,  and  whether  the  punishment  for  all 
these  criminals  would  be  at  all  adequate — was 
this — 

"  *  Thank  God,  the  darkness  and  earthquake 
and  fire  and  storm  do  pass  by,  and  with  wrapt 
face  and  eager  soul  we  listen  for  the  still,  small 
voice.  Fear  not,  it  is  all  right.  God  is  watching 
and  waiting.  The  Lord  executeth  righteousness 
and  judgment  for  all  that  are  oppressed.' 

"  If  we  die,  we  die  in  peace. — Ever  yours 
lovingly,  Chas  :  EvA  :  FLORENCE. 

"  \st  July — More  dreadful  news.  Miss  Whit- 
church and  Miss  Searell  in  Hsiao  Ih  are  said  to 
be  certainly  killed.  Dr.  Edwards'  place  in  T'ai 
Yiian  Fu  destroyed,  and  two  foreigners — we  know 
not  whom — killed. 

"It  all  comes  from  the  wicked  Governor,  who 


Memorials  and  Last  Letters  293 

came  in  here  with  the  exaggerated  hatred  for 
the  foreigners  because  they  were  the  cause  of  his 
being  driven  out  from  his  former  place, 

"  May  God  keep  us  in  His  *  Safe  Shelter '  at 
the  last,  even  as  He  is  now — when  we  know  not 
what  an  hour  may  bring  forth ! 

"  We  leave  it  as  a  testimony  to  all  who  are 
wavering,  who  doubt,  who  deny — the  grace  of 
God  is  sufficient. 

"  Ever  yours,  in  dependence  and  trust  in  the 
Saviour  who  saves  and  the  Keeper  who  keeps. 
— Lovingly  to  all.  EvA." 


EXTRACT    FROM    DIARY    OF    MISS    BIRD 
Martyred  at  T'ai  Ku,  ^istjuly  1900. 

"T'ai  Ku  Hsien. 

^^  Thursday  12th  July.  —  Dreadful  news  came 
to  us  last  eve.  It  was  so  dreadful  we  could  not 
believe  it,  and  hoped  to  hear  it  disputed  to-day ; 
but  it  is  not.  The  report  is  that  all  the  T'ai  Yiian 
Fu  foreigners  —  thirty  -  two,  including  the  Shou 
Yang  people,  who  were  sent  there  by  the  Shou 
Yang  '  yamen ' — and  some  thirty  Chinese  have 
been  massacred,  and  that  by  order  of  the  Governor. 
Can  it  be  that  God  will  let  that  one  man  kill 
all  the  missionaries  and  all  the  Christians  in  this 
province,  without  let  or  hindrance  ?  Such  news  is 
hard  for  our  people  to  hear.  They  have  stood  by 
us  bravely,  but    I    don't   know  how  much   more 


294  Fire  and  Sword  in  Shan  si 

they  can  stand.  They  were  willing  to  stand  and 
fight  with  us  when  they  had  Boxers  to  contend 
with ;  but  when  it  comes  to  Government  soldiers 
there  is  no  hope,  and  it  takes  all  the  courage 
out  of  them. 

"  13///!  July. — I  cannot  write  much  more  now. 
There  is  so  much  I  would  like  to  say,  but  cannot, 
though  it  may  be  the  last  word  from  me  you  will 
ever  get.  Hsiang  Hsi  offers  to  send  to  his  home 
any  letters  we  may  wish  ;  and  when  the  country  is 
restored  to  peace,  if  it  ever  is,  they  will  be  sent  to 
Tientsin.  I  must  say  good-bye  to  you  all,  dear 
mother  and  all  of  you.  Our  people  are  scattering. 
We  cannot  wonder.  I  think  some  of  them  would 
die  for  us  if  they  could  thus  save  us ;  but  to  feel 
that  staying  simply  means  being  killed  with  us,  as 
the  T'ai  Yiian  Fu  Chinese  were,  without  being 
able  to  help,  is  more  than  they  can  do.  Poor 
people,  these  are  dreadful  times  for  them  !  All 
will  be  protected  who  deny  their  religion.  Hsiang 
Hsi  has  been  such  a  comfort  to  us.  He  has  clung 
to  us  through  great  opposition,  but  his  father 
insists  on  taking  him  away  now.  Last  night  we 
were  almost  ready  to  start  for  the  hills,  thinking 
it  one  chance  for  life,  but  the  dangers  from  Boxers 
and  robbers  and  perils  of  all  kinds  are  so  great, 
what  could  we  do?  If  you  never  see  me  again, 
remember  I  am  not  sorry  I  came  to  China, 
Whether  I  have  saved  anyone  or  not,  He  knows ; 
but  it  has  been  for  Him,  and  we  go  to  Him. — 
Darling  ones — good-bye. 

"  RowENA  Bird." 


Memorials  and  Last  Letters  295 

LETTER    FROM    MISS    LOUISA    PARTRIDGE 

Martyred  at  T'ai  Ku,  i\st  Jtdy  1900. 

"T'ai  Ku,  Shansi,  \i,th  July  1900. 

"  Dear  Mrs.  Edwards, — There  seems  a  little 
lull  in  our  affairs ;  we  have  nothing  to  do  now  but 
to  wait  for  death,  or  deliverance  which  seems 
impossible  except  by  a  miracle.  So  I  will  try 
and  write  you,  as  fully  as  I  can,  all  we  know  about 
T'ai  Yiian  and  Shou  Yang. 

"  It  all  comes  thro'  Chinese.  We  sent  Heh  Kou 
(Dr.  Atwood's  helper)  up,  but  they  dared  not  give 
him  a  foreign  letter,  lest  he  be  searched  and  lose 
his  life.  That  was  some  days  ago,  and  all  we 
know  since,  or  of  Shou  Yang  anyway,  is  through 
rumours  on  the  street.  I  learned  a  little  through 
a  Liman  boy  who  worked  at  Shou  Yang,  but  don't 
know  how  straight  it  is. 

"  I  will  give  this  if  finished  to  some  Chinese,  in 
hopes,  after  all  is  quiet,  they  may  get  it  to  the 
coast.  I've  sent  letters  to  my  friends  so.  Excuse 
all  mistakes — we  are  all  more  or  less  stunned  and 
stupid.      It  is  a  trying  two  weeks  we've  passed. 

"  I  don't  know  how  much  you  have  heard.  Our 
last  courier  didn't  get  through,  and  we  don't  know 
as  to  the  letters  sent  by  one  or  two  before.  This 
Governor,  Yii,  you  probably  know,  was  ousted 
from  his  position  in  Shantung  by  the  English  on 
account  of  his  treatment  of  foreigners.  The 
Boxer  movement  there  started  under  him.  This 
affair    was    supposed    to    be    settled.      Then    the 


296  Fire  and  Sword  in  Shansi 

foreign  Powers  let  him  be  sent  up  here.  How 
culpably  careless  it  was  in  them !  I  wonder  if 
they'll  care,  or  only  say,  '  It's  just  missionaries '  ? 

"  No  one  feared  the  Boxers  here,  and  all  were 
confident  no  riots  would  occur.  They  were  un- 
easy about  the  Governor.  He  started  Boxers 
out,  but  they  were  expelled  from  all  the  villages, 
the  elders  saying  they  were  bad  men,  and  they 
wanted  nothing  of  them. 

"  Then  it  was  so  dry,  and  men  were  starving 
everywhere,  and  his  efforts  and  hate  were  unceas- 
ing. Finally,  the  movement  spread  like  wildfire, 
the  boys  from  twelve  to  fourteen  being  most 
active.  Thursday  28th  June  was  set  to  kill  all 
the  foreigners  and  Christians  in  the  province.  But 
so  many  days  have  been  set  and  nothing  come  of 
it  that  no  one  believed  it.  We  were  all  on  the 
watch,  though,  and  praying. 

"In  T'ai  Ku  there  was  a  riot  about  the  house 
all  the  Sunday  before.  I  came  in  to  Communion 
and  passed  through  a  crowd  of  two  hundred 
perhaps,  quite  unconscious  of  their  purpose  till 
they  shouted  after  me,  '  Kill  the  foreigners.'  No 
Communion.  I  went  back  to  Liman  with  an 
anxious  heart ;  but  we  are  still  alive,  and  our 
foreign  house  still  stands,  and  my  place  has  not 
been  touched.     The  Jen  Tsuen  house  was  looted. 

"  P'ing  Yao  was  attacked  on  Monday  25  th  June, 
T'ai  Yuan  and  Fen  Chou  Fu  on  Wednesday. 
No  demonstrations  were  made  here  on  those  nor 
on  the  appointed  day.  No  one  was  hurt  at  Fen 
Chou    Fu,   and   the   '  kwan '   has   protected  them 


Memorials  and  Last  Letters  297 

with  much  spirit ;  but  it  is  now  many  days  since 
we  heard.  The  P'ing  Yao  friends  asked  for  an 
escort  to  T'ai  Yuan,  but  at  Hsiao  Tien  Tzu  heard 
of  T'ai  Yiian's  riot,  and  were  all  but  attacked 
themselves,  so  turned  about  and  started  for  Lu 
Ch'eng.  They  sent  to  us  for  silver ;  did  not  come 
here  for  fear  of  increasing  our  danger.  What  they 
have  suffered  no  one  knows.  They  have  been 
robbed,  betrayed  by  guards,  left  by  servants,  and 
whether  still  alive  seems  very  doubtful.  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Saunders,  four  children,  Mr.  Jennings,  and 
Miss  Guthrie  formed  the  party.  Miss  Whitchurch 
and  Miss  Searell  were  killed  at  Hsiao  Ih,  we  don't 
know  what  day.  The  *  kwan '  had  the  bodies 
put  in  a  new  baptistery  Miss  Searell  had  just 
finished,  to  await  identification,  laid  out  in  coffins. 

"  Miss  French  and  Miss  Johnson  were  at  Chieh 
Hsiu,  and  no  one  has  heard  from  them. 

"  The  Lundgrens  and  Miss  Eldred  are  at  Fen 
Chou  Fu,  or  were  when  we  heard. 

"  The  Ogrens  have  not  been  heard  from. 

"  At  T'ai  YUan  Fu  the  crowd  gathered  and  went 
first  to  Mr.  Farthing's.  He  went  out  and  talked 
to  them,  reminded  them  of  famine  times,  and  how 
foreigners  saved  so  many  lives. 

" '  That's  so,'  they  said,  and  scattered. 

"  He  got  into  a  cart  and  went  to  the  Taot'ai's 
yamen.  The  Taot'ai  said  he  would  protect  them, 
but  had  an  affair  just  then,  Mr.  Farthing  pressed 
him,  and  he  sent  soldiers.  Meantime  a  crowd  of 
boys  from  the  Manchu  city  (Boxers)  had  entered 
the  book-room  at  Tung  Chia   Hsiang  and  fired  it. 


298  Fire  and  Sword  In  ShansI 

The  people  rushed  in  and  about  the  court.  Our 
friends  gathered  in  Dr.  Lovitt's  court,  and,  when 
safety  was  no  longer  possible  there,  formed  in 
ranks ;  the  gentlemen  used  their  revolvers  (four), 
shot  several,  and  forced  a  passage  through  the 
crowd.     They  escaped  to  Mr.  Farthing's. 

"  Two  schoolgirls  were  trampled  to  death,  and 
dear  Miss  Coombs  was  struck  on  the  back  of  the 
neck,  and  probably  died  instantly.  We  think  she 
must  have  been  behind  caring  for  her  girls. 

"  When  Heh  Kou  went  up  on  Tuesday  3rd 
July  he  found  them  still  there,  twenty-five  souls. 
The  servants  had  stuck  to  them,  and  evidently  did 
to  the  last,  as  forty  Chinese  are  reported  killed  and 
over  thirty  foreigners. 

"  We  do  not  know  what  day  the  place  at  Shou 
Yang  was  burned.  We  heard  of  it  on  Tuesday. 
No  word  of  the  people.  We  waited  anxiously 
for  news,  and  when  it  came  our  hearts  sank 
worse.  Wan  Hong  Tzu  came  on  Friday,  bring- 
ing Yao  Hou  Chi's  story.  He  says  he  stayed  by 
them.  They  fled  to  a  village  and  stayed  over 
night.  Next  morning  the  villagers  drove  them 
out.  Our  Mary  and  Ernestine  were  still  there, 
and  we  suppose  two  of  the  Beynon  children. 
Then  they  went  to  the  house  of  a  very  warm- 
hearted Christian,  whose  women -folks  all  had 
unbound  feet.  The  man  and  some  of  his  family 
were  killed.  From  there  they  attempted  to  get 
back  to  the  yamen.  As  I  remember.  Ten  Jen 
and  his  wife  were  with  them,  also  Yao  Hou  Chi 
and    one  Christian    helping.      They  came  to  the 


Memorials  and  Last  Letters  299 

river ;  whether  there  was  water  I  don't  know,  but 
some  started  over,  leaving  some  behind ;  these, 
who  were  children,  were  cautioned  not  to  speak, 
but  did.  Whether  someone  was  really  following 
them,  or  whether  they  got  into  a  panic  and  fled, 
at  any  rate  they  all  separated,  and  he  lost  them  ; 
and,  though  he  and  the  Christian  climbed  the 
ridge  and  looked  and  called,  they  found  nothing 
more  of  them.  That's  his  story.  Sounds  as 
though  he  ran  away.  All  this  at  night,  of 
course. 

"  Next  day  our  courier  came  in,  got  within 
100  *li'  of  Pao  Fu  and  turned  back.  He  said 
they  were  all  in  the  yamen  at  Shou  Yang. 

"Tuesday  loth  July,  it  was  reported  on  the 
street  that  they  had  been  sent  under  escort  to 
T'ai  Ytian.  Next  day  came  the  report  of  the 
massacre,  which  happened  on  the  loth.  The 
glass  had  been  broken  out  of  the  Farthings'  place  ; 
and  perhaps  it  was  unsafe,  or  the  arrival  of  more 
foreigners  may  have  made  the  populace  more 
threatening,  or  Mr.  Pigott  may  have  passed 
through  so  much  as  to  feel  unsafe  there,  and 
urged  doing  something.  We  have  thought  of 
all  these  reasons,  but  hear  only  that  they  all 
removed  from  there  to  a  large  empty  court  back 
of  the  Taot'ai  yamen.  The  Fut'ai  sent  word  he 
could  not  protect  them  there,  that  they  should 
come  to  his  yamen.  Two  soldiers  to  each 
foreigner  escorted  them.  Just  outside  the  gates 
of  the  yamen  Boxers  set  upon  them.  It  seems 
as    though    someone  must    have  escaped,  but    it 


300  Fire  and  Sword  in  Shansi 

is  not  probable  a  foreigner  could.  The  shopmen 
call  our  boys  in,  and  tell  them  with  bated  breath. 
There  seems  a  horror  over  the  people. 

"  There  really  is  much  kindly  feeling  towards 
us  in  the  city ;  but  if  the  Governor  has  decreed 
our  destruction,  it's  only  a  question  of  time. 

"  We  prepared  for  flight  last  night,  but  were 
detained,  and  now  it  is  probably  too  late  anyway. 
Our  '  kwan  '  has  told  us  to  trust  him  ;  he  seems  to 
have  been  trustworthy  so  far,  but  the  Governor 
is  still  in  power,  though  recalled  by  the  demand 
of  the  French.  Our  people  stayed  till  they  heard 
this  report.  Now  we  have  barely  enough  to  do 
the  work,  almost  no  force  to  fight.  This  '  kwan  '  is 
young,  this  his  first  post,  and  all  his  moves  are 
very  cautious  and  not  openly  for  us ;  but  he  has 
subdued  the  Boxers  throughout  the  Hsien.  The 
Governor  was  afraid  to  go  to  Peking,  and  unless 
he  is  crazy,  as  some  say,  is  preparing  to  revolt,  as 
he  has  demanded  a  thousand  soldiers  from  each 
Hsien.  You  must  know  through  telegrams  what 
has  happened  at  the  coast.  We  know  nothing. 
Hear  many  rumours,  some  contradictory. 

"  We  do  not  know  surely  who  were  at  T'ai 
Yuan.  Mrs.  Beynon  had  returned,  Misses  Clark 
and  Stevens  were  there.  Suppose  as  follows : — 
Lovetts,  3  ;  Stokes,  2  ;  Simpsons,  2 ;  Farthings, 
5  ;  Misses  Stewart,  Stevens,  and  Clark,  3  ; 
Underwoods,  2  ;  Whitehouses,  2  ;  Wilsons,  3 ; 
and  Beynons,  3.  That  makes  the  25  Heh  Kou 
reported.  In  that  case  there  would  have  been 
9  from  Shou  Yang,  but  some  say  7  ;  so  we  can't 


Memorials  and  Last  Letters  301 

be  sure.  There  are  6  of  us  here — Clapps, 
Williams,  Davis,  Bird,  and  myself;  and  10  at 
Fen  Chou  Fu — Prices,  3  ;  Atwaters,  4  ;  Lund- 
grens,  2  ;  and  Miss  Eldred, 

"  We  can  get  no  word  of  Ilsin  Chou,  except 
that  beyond  there  the  country  is  much  disturbed. 

"  It  has  almost  broken  my  heart  to  write  this 
letter.  We  talk  much,  but  think  as  little  as 
possible,  and  this  made  me  think. 

"  Those  dear  people,  they  were  so  good  and 
sweet  and  dear,  and  had  done  so  much  for  China. 
I  can't  believe  it  yet.  My  heart  almost  murmurs. 
I  can  trust  for  myself  and  hope  to  be  kept  brave 
through  it,  though  I  don't  know.  I  get  awfully 
irritable  under  this  close  confinement.  But  why 
they  must  all  be  taken,  I  can't  understand.  Well, 
they  are  past  all  doubts  and  questionings  now. 

"  We  three  ladies  slept  upstairs  where  you  slept 
when  visiting  here.  We're  in  the  city,  not  out  at 
the  foreign  house.  One  night  we  were  waked 
from  deep  sleep — so  tired — on  a  false  alarm, 
and  Mrs.  Clapp  fell  down  the  stairs  from  top  to 
bottom,  wrenched  her  foot  and  the  other  knee, 
and  tore  a  great  gash  in  her  arm  just  below  the 
armpit,  about  four  inches  long  and  half  an  inch 
deep.  The  Sangs  treated  it  beautifully,  took  five 
stitches.  This  is  the  tenth  day,  and  she  has  been 
walking  too,  and  the  arm  has  healed  without  a 
particle  of  matter.  It  is  very  hot,  and  the  air  of 
the  city  is  trying,  though  not  so  bad  as  if  we'd 
had  more  rain. 

"  May  the  Lord  be  merciful  to  you  and  let  this 


302  Fire  and  Sword  in  Shansi 

news  come  to  you  gently.  They  sent  a  telegram 
to  us  by  Heh  Kou,  and  we  to  the  coast,  but  have 
some  doubt  of  the  messenger.  We've  also  sent 
two  men  to  Hwai  Luh  and  another  to  Pao  Fu 
to  wait  for  mail.  Wrote  Mr.  Green  the  conditions 
at  T'ai  Yiian,  so  he  could  telegraph ;  but  it  is  very 
dangerous  on  the  road,  and  we  fear  for  them. 

"  I  do  hope  your  brother  returned  safely.    Love 
to  all  of  you  dear  friends. 

"Louisa  Partridge." 


CHAPTER    VI 
Present  Needs  and  Future  Prospects 

THE  latest  news  is  not  reassuring.  Two 
English  missionaries  were  killed  in  the 
province  of  Hunan  in  August  last,  the  old 
accusation  of  poisoning  the  wells  having  been 
brought  against  them.  The  British  Ambassador 
declined  to  hold  social  intercourse  with  the 
Chinese  Court  until  justice  had  been  done  and  the 
culpable  officials  punished ;  and  four  English 
gunboats  went  six  hundred  miles  up  the  Yangtsze 
River  to  the  important  port  of  Hankow.  We 
notice,  too,  that  at  last  the  English  ladies  in  Peking 
have  declined  the  invitations  of  the  Dowager- 
Empress.  It  is  to  be  deeply  regretted  that  any 
show  of  force  was  necessary ;  and  if  only  a  little 
interest  had  been  manifested  and  an  official 
inquiry  held  when  over  one  hundred  British 
subjects  were  massacred  two  years  ago,  matters 
might  now  assume  a  different  aspect.  All  the 
most  recent  intelligence  from  China  confirms  the 
opinion  that  things  are  drifting  back  into  their  old 
ruts,  and  the  following  extract  from  an  article  in 
the    North    China    Herald   of     1st     October    on 

303 


304  Fire  and  Sword  in  Shansi 

"  The  Imperfect  Sympathy  of  the  East  and  West  " 
is  worthy  of  serious  consideration  : — 

"  It  is  not  a  gratifying  reflection  that  more  than 
a  full  year  after  the  final  '  settlement '  of  affairs 
between    China     and    *  the   Powers '   there  is   no 
sign  and  no  definite  promise  anywhere  of  those 
subjective    reforms  which    alone   will   render  the 
previous  official  programme  incapable  of  repetition. 
Let    it    be    distinctly    understood    that    no     one 
predicts     a     repetition     of    the     Boxer     attempt 
immediately  or  at  any  time  in  the  future.     What 
is  affirmed  is  that  there  is  at  the  present  time  in 
China  a  minority  who  would  be  willing  and  glad 
to  attempt  such  a  repetition,  and  a  majority  who 
would  be  delighted  to  have  it  accomplished,  but 
who  would  never  dare  to  try  it.     As  an  incidental 
confirmation  of  this  position  it  is  worthy  of  notice 
that  for  several  months  a  carefully  nursed,  rapidly 
expanded,  and  deadly  efficient  Boxer  propaganda 
has  been  in  actual  operation  under  our  very  eyes 
in  the  largest  and  most  populous  province  of  the 
Empire,  with  no  genuine  effort  whatever  to  stop 
it  on    the   part  of  the  inert  Manchu   Governor- 
General,  whose  removal  is  apparently  accomplished 
only  by  strong  pressure.     The  conditions  already 
witnessed  in  Szechuan  (whatever  may  be  true  of 
the  future)  are  such  as  all  of  us  had  hoped  and 
some  of  us  had  expected  never  again  to  behold. 
Together  with  other  significant  indications,  they 
seem    clearly    to    show    that    as   yet    practically 
nothing  has  been  done  towards  the  real  *  settle- 
ment '  of  the  great,  the  pressing,  the  international 


Present  Needs  and  Future  Prospects     305 

question  of  the  relation  of  the  Chinese  Empire  and 
the  Chinese  people  to  the  Powers  of  the  world. 
What  is  to  be  done  is  altogether  a  matter  still  in 
future  tenses,  and  we  repeat,  with  such  emphasis 
as  we  may,  that  it  cannot  be  too  soon  begun." 

In  the  province  of  Shansi  the  officials  from 
whom  so  much  was  hoped  have  already  been 
moved  to  other  posts.  The  Governor — T'sen 
Ch'un  Hsuan — has  been  sent  to  the  province  of 
Szechuan  to  quell  the  recent  anti-foreign  outbreak 
there,  and  has  taken  with  him  the  reliable  troops 
under  his  command.  The  official  appointed  to 
replace  him  is  known  to  be  one  of  the  conserva- 
tives, if  not  actually  anti-foreign. 

The  enlightened  and  progressive  Taot'ai  Shen 
Tun  Ho  has  obtained  well-merited  promotion  and 
been  removed  to  Peking,  where  he  has  an  in- 
fluential position  in  connection  with  the  Northern 
Railways  of  China.  The  post  he  vacated  in  T'ai 
Yiian  Fu — head  of  the  Foreign  Bureau — was 
most  important,  and  it  will  be  very  difficult  to 
find  a  successor  equally  wise  and  efficient. 

The  Fant'ai  (Treasurer),  second  only  in  In- 
fluence to  the  Governor, — who  in  1900  saved 
the  lives  of  twenty-six  foreigners,  and  did  all 
he  could  to  suppress  the  Boxers  within  his 
jurisdiction, — has  also  been  removed  from  his 
post;  and  his  successor,  a  Manchu  from  Shan- 
tung, has  already  shown  his  marked  antipathy 
to  foreign  innovations. 

As  regards  the  education  question,  the  history 
of  the  establishment  of  the  college  at  T'ai  Yiian 


3o6  Fire  and  Sword  in  Shansi 

Fu  has  already  been  given ;  and  as  to  the 
universities  opened  by  the  Chinese  on  their 
own  initiative,  recent  events  make  it  very  clear 
that  the  only  reason  the  Manchu  Government 
wishes  for  Western  education  is  to  find  out  the 
secret  of  our  power.  That  they  are  determined 
it  shall  if  possible  be  a  non-Christian  education 
is  only  too  evident  by  the  various  edicts  published 
in  connection  with  the  college  at  Chi  Nan  Fu,  the 
capital  of  Shantung,  which  absolutely  preclude  the 
possibility  of  any  conscientious  convert  becoming 
a  student  in  that  institution.  "  Any  student  found 
to  be  absent  three  times  from  the  ceremony  {i.e. 
the  worship  of  the  tablet  of  Confucius)  will  be 
dismissed,  in  order  that  the  practice  of  morality 
be  promoted  and  rites  and  laws  protected."  By 
the  agreement  the  Rev.  Dr.  Richard  was  obliged 
to  come  to  with  the  Governor  of  Shansi,  Christi- 
anity cannot  be  taught  in  the  college  at  T'ai  Yiian 
Fu.  The  rules  and  regulations  drawn  up  for  the 
(as  yet  to  be)  Peking  University  lay  the  duty 
of  conducting  the  Confucian  worship  on  the 
President,  supported  by  the  Vice-Presidents  and 
Directors.  As  these  rules  have  received  the 
Imperial  sanction,  and  are  the  latest  patterns 
for  schools  of  all  grades  throughout  the  Empire, 
it  is  evident  that  no  toleration  is  contemplated. 

A  great  opportunity  is  now  presented  to 
Prot';stant  Missions  to  open  Christian  schools 
and  colleges,  not  in  any  sense  to  oppose,  but 
rather  supplement,  those  of  the  Government. 
If  immediate  advantage  be  taken  of  the  present 


Present  Needs  and  Future  Prospects     307 

opening,  the  results  will  be  incalculable,  as  the 
Chinese  will  then  learn  what  is  the  true  founda- 
tion of  the  strength  and  greatness  of  Western 
nations. 

Another  reason  for  seeking  to  establish  Christian 
schools  is,  that  the  events  of  two  years  ago  were 
only  possible  because  the  Boxer  leaders  were  able 
to  work  upon  the  dense  ignorance  both  of  officials 
and  people.  To  get  an  idea  of  their  ignorance 
we  need  to  refer,  not  to  their  Confucian  books, 
which  give  us  only  the  theory,  but  to  their 
temples  and  shrines,  which  show  us  the  practice  ; 
for  ignorance  and  superstition  go  hand  in  hand. 
Their  idols  are  worshipped  by  both  rich  and  poor, 
high  and  low,  learned  Confucianist  and  ignorant 
peasant.  When  the  Dowager-Empress  returned 
to  Peking,  one  of  her  first  acts  when  entering  the 
Imperial  city — while  bowing  and  smiling  to  the 
foreigners  on  one  hand — was  to  enter  the  adjoin- 
ing temple  and  worship  the  god  of  war ! 

The  late  Governor  of  Shansi — a  comparatively 
enlightened  man — in  June  last,  in  consequence  of 
the  prolonged  drought,  made  a  sacrifice  to  the 
"  god  of  dragons "  and  the  dragons  of  the  "  five 
lakes  and  four  seas,"  and  prayed  them  for  rain. 
As  his  prayer  was  not  granted,  he  ordered  a  paper 
dragon  to  be  constructed  to  represent  the  "  dragon 
of  drought."  This  image  was  then  taken  in  pro- 
cesssion  outside  the  south  gate  of  the  city,  where 
the  Governor  informed  high  heaven  that  he  was 
going  to  execute  it  for  having  taken  away  all  the 
rain  that  should  be  given  to  the  people  of  Shansi. 


3o8  Fire  and  Sword  in  Shansi 

Immediately  after  the  report  of  three  guns  an 
executioner  clad  in  red  stepped  forward,  and  with 
a  long  and  shining  sword  cut  the  dragon  into 
seven  pieces.  After  reading  another  prayer  to 
high  heaven  and  the  other  dragons,  the  Governor 
ordered  the  executed  dragon  to  be  burnt,  and  then 
returned  to  his  yamen. 

It  has  already  been  pointed  out  that  when  in 
1900,  during  the  drought,  the  many  appeals  to  the 
"  gods  of  rain  "  failed  to  produce  the  much  longed- 
for  showers,  the  foreigners  and  their  followers  were 
accused  of  being  the  cause,  as  the  "  gods  "  were 
said  to  be  angry  at  their  presence  in  the  land. 

But  education  without  Christianity  will  not  bring 
about  the  desired  end ;  for  we  want  not  only  to 
instruct  and  improve,  but  to  mould  character. 
One  of  India's  greatest  administrators,  Sir  Herbert 
Edwardes,  said  more  than  thirty  years  ago :  "  That 
secular  education  and  civilisation  will  ever  re- 
generate a  nation,  I  do  not  believe.  It  does  not 
go  to  the  root  of  the  matter.  It  is  a  police  force 
at  best.  It  does  much  to  suppress  crime  between 
man  and  man,  but  it  does  nothing  for  sin  between 
man  and  his  Maker.  Undoubtedly  it  softens  what 
is  brutal  in  human  nature,  but  it  leaves  untouched 
what  is  Satanic.  It  was  well  said  by  one  of  the 
ablest  missionaries  in  India,  that  *  He  alone  can 
make  a  new  nation  who  can  form  a  new  man.' " 

Further,  unless  immediate  advantage  be  taken 
of  the  present  opportunity  by  Christian  Missions, 
others  may  step  in,  and  the  education  given  to 
China  may  be  not  only  non-Christian  but  anti- 


Present  Needs  and  Future  Prospects     309 

Christian,  thus  greatly  increasing  the  difficulty  of 
Mission  work. 

It  is  quite  true  that  the  Chinese  Government 
has  lately  taken  further  official  notice  of  Missions 
and  missionaries,  for  Article  XI 1 1,  of  the  recent 
British  Commercial  Treaty  with  China  runs  thus : 
"  The  missionary  question  in  China  being,  in  the 
opinion  of  the  Chinese  Government,  one  requiring 
careful  consideration,  so  that,  if  possible,  troubles 
such  as  have  occurred  in  the  past  may  be  averted 
in  the  future.  Great  Britain  agrees  to  join  in  a 
Commission  to  investigate  this  question,  and,  if 
possible,  to  devise  means  for  securing  permanent 
peace  between  converts  and  non-converts,  should 
such  a  Commission  be  formed  by  China  and  the 
Treaty  Powers  interested." 

When  Dr.  Timothy  Richard  was  in  Peking  in 
June  last  he  was  asked  by  the  Chinese  Foreign 
Office  to  aid  them  in  drawing  up  new  regulations 
to  bring  about  a  better  understanding  between 
Christians  and  non-Christians  ;  and  he  had  several 
long  interviews  with  that  Board.  The  result  was 
that  the  following  remarkable  Imperial  edict  ap- 
peared on  3rd  July  : — 

"  We  have  received  a  Memorial  from  the 
Ministry  of  Foreign  Affairs  stating  that  foreigners 
from  the  West  are  divided  into  two  religions, 
namely,  Roman  Catholicism  and  Protestantism. 
The  said  Ministry  speaks  in  the  highest  terms 
of  recommendation  of  Dr.  Timothy  Richard,  who 
is  at  present  in  Peking,  and  is  a  representative  of 


3IO  Fire  and  Sword  In  Shansi 

the  Protestant  Missions,  We  know  Dr.  Richard 
to  be  a  man  of  great  learning,  high  attainments, 
and  strict  sense  of  justice — quahties  we  deeply 
admire  and  commend.  We  therefore  hereby 
command  the  said  Ministry  of  Foreign  Affairs 
to  take  the  scheme  the  said  Ministry  has  lately 
drawn  up  with  the  object  of  making  Christians 
and  non-Christians  to  live  harmoniously  with 
each  other  throughout  the  Empire,  to  Dr. 
Richard  and  consult  him  on  the  matter,  with 
the  sincere  hope  that,  with  the  valuable  assistance 
of  that  gentleman,  the  object  in  view  may  be 
arrived  at,  and  the  masses  be  able  to  live  at 
peace  with  their  neighbours  the  Christians." 

The  appointment  could  not  have  fallen  on  a 
more  worthy  representative  of  Protestant  mission- 
aries, and  it  is  to  be  hoped  that  Dr.  Richard  will 
be  able  to  do  much  to  remove  misunderstanding, 
and  prevent  difficulties  between  the  Chinese 
Government  and  people  and  the  Protestant  Church. 

And  now  we  may  ask  ourselves,  "  What  has 
been  the  effect  on  the  Church  at  large  of  the 
facts  connected  with  the  martyrdoms  so  far  as 
known  ?  "  Judging  from  results, — or  rather  want 
of  results, — may  it  not  be  justly  said  that  the 
Church  has  either  been  stunned  or  frightened  ? 
When  Mr.  Herbert  Dixon  was  fleeing  for  his  life, 
part  of  his  last  verbal  message  given  to  the  faithful 
evangelist  Chao  was :  "  There  is  perhaps  one 
chance  in  a  hundred  that  we  may  escape,  but 
if  we  must  die  we  are  not  afraid.     If  the  Lord 


Present  Needs  and  Future  Prospects     311 

bids  us,  we  will  cheerfully  lay  down  our  lives 
for  His  sake.  All  the  missionaries  are  in  the 
same  danger ;  but  if  we  are  all  killed,  and  not 
one  escape,  there  are  many  more  who  will  be 
certain  to  take  our  place"  So  far  from  this  being 
the  case,  all  missionary  societies  are  complaining 
of  the  want  of  suitable  candidates  for  the  field ; 
and  as  to  the  Baptist  Missionary  Society,  though 
it  is  now  more  than  two  years  since  all  their 
workers  in  Shansi  were  swept  away  at  one  stroke, 
only  one  or  two  new  men  have  volunteered  to  fill 
the  vacancies !  True,  three  old  missionaries — 
Revs.  J.  J.  Turner,  Arthur  Sowerby,  and  Evan 
Morgan,  who  respectively  first  went  to  China 
twenty-six,  twenty,  and  fifteen  years  ago — volun- 
teered to  fill  the  gaps,  and  are  now  in  that  province. 
But  these  three  men  can  do  no  more  than  hold 
the  fort  at  the  two  main  stations,  and  until  the 
vacancies  are  filled  up  it  will  be  almost  impossible 
to  visit  the  out-stations,  much  less  to  advance 
into  the  vast  unoccupied  district ;  and  within  the 
territory  for  which  this  one  society  is  respor'^''^'- 
there  are  no  less  than  seventeen  walled  towns 
which  have  been  but  seldom  visited,  and  have 
never  had  a  resident  Protestant  missionary !  If, 
when  two  years  ago  the  news  of  the  disasters 
first  reached  us,  young  men  had  come  forward 
and  been  sent  out,  they  would  now  be  ready  to 
begin  work ;  but  the  time  has  been  lost — abso- 
lutely, irretrievably  lost.  Immediate  reinforce- 
ments should  be  sent  out  to  make  such  reparation 
as  is  possible. 


312  Fire  and  Sword  in  Shansi 

As  to  what  kind  of  men  are  wanted,  it  need 
hardly  be  said  that  all  should  be  inspired  by  love 
to  Christ,  and  be  ready  for  difficulties  and,  if  need 
be,  dangers.  While  there  is  room  for  men  of 
diversified  talents,  one  and  all  should  be  out-and- 
out  evangelists.  It  has  already  been  pointed  out 
what  a  splendid  opportunity  there  is  at  present 
for  those  with  the  highest  qualifications  in  Christian 
colleges  and  schools ;  and  an  appeal  has  recently 
come  for  fifty  qualified  men — men  with  educational 
and  journalistic  ability — to  join  the  Christian 
Literature  Society  in  China  to  aid  in  the  pre- 
paration of  books  for  the  Chinese,  for  which  there 
is  now  such  an  unprecedented  demand. 

It  is  impossible  to  speak  too  strongly  as  to  the 
need  of  fully  qualified  medical  men  to  take  up 
Medical  Mission  work ;  and  the  opportunities  in 
the  future  will  probably  be  much  greater  than  in 
the  past. 

At  the  same  time,  it  were  to  be  desired  that 
the  portals  of  some  of  our  missionary  societies 
were  more  widely  opened,  and  not  so  closely 
guarded  by  the  bugbears  of  "  education "  and 
"  culture."  The  sending  out  of  men  tested  in 
Christian  work  at  home,  but  with  little  or  no 
"  college "  training,  is  no  longer  an  experiment ; 
and,  speaking  for  North  China, — with  which  the 
writer  has  been  acquainted  for  the  last  twenty 
years, — some  of  the  best  and  most  successful 
missionaries  come  within  that  category.  The 
failures  have  been  comparatively  few ;  and  where 
in  other  parts  of  China  the  plan  has  not  succeeded, 


Present  Needs  and  Future  Prospects     313 

it  appears  to  have  been  due  to  the  fact  that  the 
older  missionaries — representatives,  too,  of  Non- 
conformist bodies  in  England — laid  so  much  stress 
on  the  distinction  between  "  lay  "  and  "  clerical." 

A  sound  business  training  is,  no  doubt,  of  great 
advantage  to  the  missionary ;  and  men  capable 
of  superintending  the  erection  of  suitable  build- 
ings for  schools,  hospitals,  etc.,  have  proved  of 
inestimable  value  to  several  societies  in  saving 
both  time  and  money. 

While  industrial  Missions  will  probably  never 
occupy  in  China  the  place  they  do  in  Africa,  still 
— to  mention  only  one  department — a  knowledge 
of  agriculture  on  the  part  of  the  missionary,  and 
a  model  farm,  especially  in  Shansi,  would  enable 
him  to  give  much  information  to  the  people  that 
would  be  invaluable.  The  potato  (probably  in- 
troduced by  the  Roman  Catholics)  has  for  many 
years  been  cultivated  in  many  parts  of  China,  but 
has  become  greatly  deteriorated.  A  missionary 
in  Shansi,  who  in  his  early  days  had  had  to  do 
with  agriculture,  introduced,  among  other  things, 
to  the  people  of  his  district  a  new  variety.  At 
first  none  but  the  Christians  would  grow  it ;  but, 
when  it  became  known  how  valuable  it  was  on 
the  market,  those  who  before  would  have  nothing 
to  do  with  it  went  to  their  neighbours'  patches 
and  stole  what  they  wanted  !  So  well  does  this 
variety  thrive,  that  it  has  almost  wholly  displaced 
the  growth  of  opium  in  that  particular  district ;  and 
thus  has  not  only  added  to  the  food  supply  of  the 
people,  but  also  given  them  a  new  source  of  revenue. 


314  Fire  and  Sword  in  Shansi 

A  successful  industrial  Mission  school  has  been 
carried  on  for  some  years  at  Chefoo  in  Shantung 
by  Mr.  James  M'Mullan,  where  the  girls  are 
taught  lace-making  and  the  boys  employed  in  a 
brush  factory.  Its  prosperity  from  a  financial 
point  of  view  is  to  some  extent  due  to  the  fact 
that  it  is  near  a  foreign  community,  where  the 
wares  it  supplies  are  in  demand.  The  last  report 
(Sept.  1902)  mentions  that  five  boys  had  been 
baptized  as  Christians ;  and  some  of  the  girls  give 
evidence  of  being  converted  by  their  changed 
characters  and  dispositions.  Lace-making  is  also 
being  carried  on  in  the  same  province  by  the 
English  Baptist  and  China  Inland  Missions. 

After  seven  years'  experience  Mr.  M'Mullan 
says :  "  We  believe  that  industrial  work,  if  wisely 
carried  on,  may  become  a  greater  factor  in  the 
evangelisation  and  uplifting  of  this  land." 

While  the  majority  of  the  women  of  China  are 
not  so  secluded  as  those  of  India,  there  are  vast 
numbers  who  will  never  be  reached  except 
through  the  agency  of  lady  missionaries,  and  an 
immense  field  of  usefulness  is  open  to  those 
endowed  with  sanctified  common-sense.  Much 
care  and  wisdom  is  undoubtedly  needed,  where 
there  are  single  ladies  at  a  station,  not  to 
unnecessarily  run  counter  to  the  prejudices  of  the 
Chinese ;  but  it  has  been  already  proved  that  the 
evil  surmisings  can  be  lived  down,  and  the  ladies 
come  to  be  treated  with  respect. 

The  education  of  the  girls  must  of  course  be  in 
the  hands  of  ladies ;  but,  unfortunately,  no  one  has 


Present  Needs  and  Future  Prospects     315 

at  present  come  forward  to  take  the  place  of  the 
late  Miss  Coombs, — the  first  Christian  martyr  in 
Shansi, — and  the  girls'  school  at  T'ai  Yiian  Fu 
has  not  yet  been  reopened. 

The  China  Inland  Mission,  with  its  associated 
Missions,  has  already  reoccupied  ten  former 
stations  in  Shansi,  with  some  thirty  missionaries 
in  residence ;  while  others  are  on  the  border  of 
the  province,  only  waiting  the  permission  of  the 
British  authorities  to  enter.  The  present  position 
of  the  English  Baptist  Mission  has  been  already 
referred  to ;  and  the  only  missionary  of  the 
American  Board  Mission  in  Shansi  is  Dr.  Atwood, 
to  take  up  the  work  of  the  five  men  of  that 
Mission  who  fell  two  years  ago. 

Meanwhile,  while  we  delay,  what  is  happening  ? 
The  removal  of  friendly  and  progressive  officials 
from  Shansi  has  already  been  mentioned,  but 
there  are,  alas  !  other  dangers  ahead.  In  England 
little  or  nothing  is  known  as  to  the  number  and 
power  of  the  Roman  Catholics  in  China.  Two 
years  ago  they  received  a  severe  blow  by  the 
massacre  of  so  many  of  their  converts,  but  they 
have  endeavoured  to  make  capital  out  of  it  by 
putting  in  enormous  claims  for  indemnity,  and 
are  now  making  strenuous  efforts,  not  only  to 
regain  lost  ground,  but  make  fresh  advances. 
Let  one  example  suffice.  In  this  province  of 
Shansi  there  is  a  station  which  was  occupied  two 
years  ago  by  Protestant  missionaries,  where  they 
had  extensive  premises  and  a  most  successful 
work.       To-day  these  premises  are  still  in  ruins, 


3i6  Fire  and  Sword  in  Shansi 

and,  owing  to  lack  of  workers,  no  Protestant 
missionary  in  residence.  What  have  the  Roman 
Catholics  done  ?  They  have  occupied  that  station 
in  force,  obtained  large  buildings,  and  commenced 
aggressive  work  by  opening  an  opium-asylum  (a 
thing  which  they  have  never  done  before),  which 
they  carry  on  by  weak  Protestant  Church  members 
whom  they  have  bribed  over!  What  will  be  the 
result  if  this  is  done  on  any  large  scale  (and  they 
have  illimitable  means  as  regards  money)  may  be 
gathered  from  a  statement  made  some  years  ago 
by  the  veteran  missionary  Dr.  Griffith  John  with 
regard  to  the  work  in  his  own  district,  to  the 
effect  that  the  difficulties  with  the  heathen  had 
practically  ceased,  but  with  the  Roman  Catholics 
were  only  just  commencing. 

But  a  third  difficulty  is  looming  in  the  near 
distance.  Already  a  railway  is  projected  into 
Shansi.  Unfortunately,  some  of  the  pioneers  of 
that  branch  of  civilisation  carry  with  them  very 
loose  ideas  as  to  morals ;  and  if  they  are  the  first 
to  convey  to  the  Chinese  of  the  districts  through 
which  the  line  will  pass  an  idea  of  what  Western 
civilisation  is,  the  mischief  done  may  take  years 
to  undo.  Is  it  not  another  challenge  thrown  down 
to  the  Christian  Church  as  to  who  shall  be  first 
in  those  as  yet  unoccupied  fields? 

Now  IS  OUR  OPPORTUNITY.  The  case  is 
urgent,  the  time  may  be  short,  and  it  is  a 
pressing  call  to  earnest  prayer  and  real  sacrifice 
on  the  part  of  every  believer. 


APPENDIX 


FOR  the  martyrs  of  the  American  Board  Mis- 
sion a  memorial  service  was  held  at  T'ai  Ku 
Hsien  on  9th  August  1901,  and  the  following 
account  is  condensed  from  one  published  at  the 
time : — 

"On  31st  July  1900,  only  a  little  more  than  a 
year  ago,  occurred  one  of  those  outrages  which, 
when  it  became  known,  horrified  the  Christian 
world,  but  which  was  apparently  very  soon  forgotten 
except  by  those  intimately  concerned.  On  that 
day  six  American  missionaries,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Clapp, 
Mr.  Williams,  Mr.  Davis,  Miss  Bird,  and  Miss 
Partridge,  together  with  several  Chinese  Christians, 
were  cruelly  done  to  death. 

"  The  news  of  this  cowardly  deed  was  soon  carried 
to  Fen  Chou  Fu,  where  seven  missionaries  and 
three  children  were  cooped  up  in  their  own  mission 
house.  The  tidings  deepened  the  gloom  already 
hanging  over  the  heroic  little  band,  and  took  away 
any  fragment  of  hope  they  may  have  had  for  their 
own  safety.  On  15th  August  they  were  inveigled 
out  of  their  house  on  pretence  of  being  sent  to  the 
coast.  Carts  were  provided  for  them,  and  they 
started  off  with  some  hopes  of  reaching  a  place  of 
safety;  but  had  only  gone  about  six  miles  when 
they  were  set  upon  by  some  local  soldiers  who 

317 


3 1 8  Appendix 

were  in  hiding,  and  foully  murdered.  Those  who 
fell  were  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Charles  Price  and  one  child 
(Florence),  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Atwater  and  two  children 
(Celia  and  Bertha),  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Lundgren,  and 
Miss  Eldred. 

"  Dr.  Atwood,  the  sole  survivor  of  this  Mission, 
was  in  1900  in  America;  and  when,  in  1901,  he 
returned  to  Shansi  he  decided  that  all  the  mission- 
aries should  be  buried  together.  About  a  mile  to 
the  east  of  the  city  of  T'ai  Ku  is  a  flower-garden, 
which  belonged  to  a  well-to-do  man  who  was 
deeply  implicated  in  the  Boxer  movement.  After 
some  negotiations  it  was  arranged  that  this  garden 
should  be  handed  over  to  the  Mission  as  a  burial- 
ground  ;  the  owner,  gentry,  and  officials  all  agree- 
ing to  such  arrangement, 

"On  Wednesday  7th  August  1901  a  party  from 
T'ai  Yiian  Fu,  consisting  of  Mr.  Duncan,  Dr.  Creasy 
Smith,  Major  Pereira,  and  Dr.  Edwards,  arrived  to 
take  part  in  the  memorial  service ;  Mr.  Hoste  and 
Mr.  Ernest  Taylor  of  the  China  Inland  Mission 
having  arrived  a  day  or  two  earlier.  The  coffins 
containing  the  remains  of  the  Fen  Chou  Fu  martyrs 
arrived  on  the  8th  ;  and  Dr.  Atwood  at  once  arranged 
with  the  officials  to  have  the  service  the  next  day, 

"  The  bodies  of  the  T'ai  Ku  martyrs  had  been 
carelessly  buried  just  outside  the  south  gate,  but 
were  subsequently  disinterred  and  placed  in  coffins. 
On  this  spot  three  large  mat  tents  had  been  erected, 
forming  three  sides  of  a  square,  and  the  fourth  side 
was  partially  occupied  by  a  large  pavilion  which 
had  been  fitted  up  as  a  guest-room.  Under  the 
centre  tent  were  arranged  the  coffins  containing 
the  remains  of  the  T'ai  Ku  martyrs,  while  those 
from  Fen  Chou  Fu  were  on  the  right.  On  the  left 
were  fourteen  coffins,  containing  such  remains  as 
could  be  found  of  the  Chinese  Christians  who  had 


Appendix  319 

been  killed  in  the  vicinity.  Round  the  tent  were 
arranged  banners  with  mottoes  on  them,  ten  of 
which  had  been  presented  by  the  local  merchant 
guilds.  In  front  of  the  main  pavilion,  under  cano- 
pies of  richly  embroidered  silk,  were  the  memorial 
banners  provided  by  the  officials.  Instead  of  the 
wreaths,  such  as  were  prepared  at  T'ai  Yiian  Fu 
and  Hsin  Chou,  were  a  number  of  plants  in  pots. 

"  When  the  mourners  (foreigners)  arrived  they 
were  received  by  the  officials  and  representatives 
of  the  gentry  and  merchants  in  the  central  pavilion. 
A  visit  was  then  paid  to  the  different  tents,  and 
the  scrolls  presented  by  the  officials,  gentrj-^  mer- 
chants, and  others  inspected.  The  final  arrange- 
ments having  been  made,  the  procession  started, 
headed  by  the  official  and  his  motley  crew  of 
runners  bearing  his  insignia  of  office.  Then  came 
the  memorial  banners  presented  by  the  officials, 
and  after  them  a  few  soldiers — mounted  and  on 
foot.  The  foreign  mourners  came  next,  followed 
by  the  Chinese  mourners,  the  complimentary  scrolls 
presented  by  the  gentry  and  merchant  guilds — and 
last  of  all  the  thirty  coffins. 

"  Such  a  procession  created  a  great  sensation. 
The  streets  were  thronged  with  people,  and  it  was 
nearly  noon  before  the  first  stop  was  made  outside 
the  mission  house,  where  the  massacre  had  occurred. 
Here  a  pavilion  had  been  erected  in  the  street ;  and 
when  both  foreign  and  Chinese  mourners  had 
arrived  a  short  service  was  held — the  officials  also 
being  present.  The  service  ended,  the  procession 
was  re-formed  and  slowly  wended  its  way  through 
the  street  to  the  east  gate,  through  the  suburb  and 
along  about  a  mile  of  country  road  to  the  garden 
cemetery.  Here  also  a  pavilion  had  been  erected 
as  a  temporary  guest-room,  and  a  long  wait  ensued 
pending  the  arrival  of  the  coffins. 


320  Appendix 

"  When  these  had  arrived  and  been  placed  near 
the  open  graves,  the  officials,  gentry,  merchants, 
and  mourners  assembled  in  front  of  the  pavilion. 
The  chief  magistrate  then  ascended  a  platform, 
having  on  his  left  an  official  specially  selected  to 
read  an  address,  while  on  his  right  was  another 
who  acted  as  master  of  ceremonies.  At  the  word 
of  command  from  this  man  the  address  was  read, 
after  which  he  gave  the  word  and  the  magistrate 
made  three  low  bows  towards  the  graves.  Then 
representatives  of  the  scholars,  gentry,  and  mer- 
chants ascended  the  platform  in  turn  and  made 
three  bows.  Their  part  of  the  proceedings  con- 
cluded, they,  with  the  official,  withdrew  and  another 
Christian  service  was  held — this  time  with  much 
less  interruption  than  attended  the  one  conducted 
in  the  city. 

"  Thus  in  Shansi  another  *  God's  Acre '  was  con- 
secrated by  becoming  the  resting-place  of  the 
remains  of  those  who  *  loved  not  their  lives  unto 
the  death.' " 


INDEX 


Ambler,  Mr.,  151. 

American  Board  missionaries, 
arrival  in  Shansi,  46  ;  massacre 
of,  88,  92 ;  memorial  service 
for,  150,  317;  massacre  of 
Chinese  Christians  connected 
with,  175-176 ;  diaries  and 
last  letters  of,  267-302. 

Aspden,  Miss  M.,  99. 

Atwater,  Ernestine  and  Mary, 
73,  81,  298. 

Atwater,  Rev.  E.  R.  and  Mrs., 
88,  212,  267,  271,  274,  275, 
276,  286,  301,  318. 

Atwood,  Dr.,  122,  125,  126, 
150,  273,  315,  318. 

Bailloud,  General,  119. 

Barratt,  Mr.,  94. 

Belcher,  Mr.,  151, 

Beynon,  Rev.  W.  T.  and  Mrs., 

46,  60,  68,  70,  300. 
Bird,    Miss   R.,  93,    212,  293- 

294,  301  >  317. 
Blomberg,  Mr.  and  Mrs.,  100. 
Brooks,  Rev.  S.  P.,  49,  50. 
Burton,  Miss,  91. 

Carleson,  Mr.  N.,  100. 
Chao,  evangelist,  96. 
Chi  Chou,  news  from,  91. 
Chieh  Hsiu  Hsien,  flight  from, 

Chinese  Christians,  fidelity  of, 
77,  96,  97,  173-21 1,  285, 
289,  290,  294 ;  memorial 
services  for,  152  ;  persecutions 
of,  56,  112- 116,  172 -21 1, 
2S5  ;  recantation  of,  iii. 
21 


Chinese  officials,  guilty,  not 
punished,  20,  21,  140,  141  ; 
reinstated  in  office,  21-29. 

Chinese  servants,  fidelity  of, 
69,  70. 

Ch'ing,  Prince,  122. 

C/iJ'istian  Herald  (New  York) 
famine  relief  fund,  157. 

Christian  and  Missionary 
Alliance,  missionaries  of, 
arrival  in  Shansi,  46 ;  mas- 
sacre of,  100,  103. 

Chu  Yiu  Wen,  Christian  photo- 
grapher of  T'ai  Yuan  Fu, 
letter  from,  112-116;  be- 
friends schoolgirls,  205,  207, 
210. 

Clapp,  Rev.  D.  H.  and  Mrs., 
93,  176,  301,  317. 

Clarke,  Mr.  G.  W.,  46. 

Clarke,  Miss  Mildred,  60,  67, 
300. 

Conger,  Major,  American 
Minister,  49. 

Coombs,  Miss  Edith  A.,  60,  63, 
64,  65,  67,  206,  207,  209, 
210,  212,  213-221,  298. 

Cooper,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  E.  J.,  94. 

Darrock,  Mr.,  164. 

Davis,  Rev.  F.  W.,  93,  272,  276, 

301,  317- 
Dixon,  Rev.  and  Mrs.  Herbert, 

96,  147,  180,  212,  310. 
Dobson,  Miss  Edith,  89. 
Dreyer,  Mr.  and  Mrs.,  84. 
Duncan,  Rev.   and  Mrs.   Moir, 

126,  147,  150,  161,  165,  318. 
Duval,  Miss,  73,  81,  221-224. 


322 


Index 


Edicts,  Imperial,  ordering 
punishment  of  guilty  official, 
31  ;  concerning  Dr.  T. 
Richard,  309, 

Education,  Christian,  need  of,  in 
China,  306-308. 

Eldred,  Miss  A.,  88,  267,  276, 
297,  301,  318. 

Engvall,  Miss  J.,  100. 

Ennals,  Mr.,  97,  148,  18 1. 

Famine  relief  in  Shensi,  150  ; 

in  Shansi,  157  ;  proclamation 

concerning,  158. 
Farthing,    Rev.    Geo.    B.    and 

Mrs.,   56,  60,   67,    174,  206, 

212,  249,  254-267,  297,  300. 
Fen  Chou  Fu,  87  ;  massacres  at, 

88 ;  last  letters  from,  267-293. 
French,  Miss  E,,  83,  84,  297. 

Gates,  Miss,  93. 
Gauntlett,  Miss  E.,  83,  84. 
German  troops  take  the  Chihli- 

Shansi  passes,  11 7- 11 9. 
Glover,  Mr.  and  Mrs.,  93. 
Guthrie,  Miss,  297. 

Heaysman,  Miss  Mary,  90. 

Hedlund,  Miss  M,,  100. 

Hewett,  Dr.,  94,  95. 

Higgs,  MissE.,  83,  84. 

Hill,  Rev.  David,  45. 

Hoddle,  Mr.  Alexander,  60,  68, 
70,  173,  225-226. 

Home,  Miss,  45. 

Hoskyn,  The  Misses,  84. 

Hoste,  Mr.  D.  E.,  126,  138, 
150,  318. 

Ho  Tsin,  massacre  near,  91. 

Hsiao  Ih  Hsien,  massacre  at, 
87,  272,  279. 

Hsi  Chou,  flight  from,  89. 

Hsin  Chou,  massacre  of  mission- 
aries at,  96-98  ;  massacre  of 
Chinese  Christians  in  district 
of,  180-196. 

Hum,  Miss  G.,  89. 

Huston,  Miss,  94. 


I'Anson,  Mr.  and  Mrs.,  46,  99. 

Indemnity,  the,  and  the 
Roman  Catholics,  165-172 ; 
claim  for,  waived  by  two  Pro- 
testant Missions,  154;  for 
property  of  Missions  or 
missionaries,  134 ;  for  Pro- 
testant Chinese  Christians, 
134;  amount  of,  157. 

Industrial  Missions,  313. 

Jennings,  Mr.,  297. 

Johanson,  Miss  A.,  100. 

John,     Dr.     Griffith,    evidence 

regarding    Roman   Catholics, 

316. 
Johnson,  Miss  E.,  83,  84,  297. 
Jones,  Captain  Watts,  massacre 

of,  107. 
Jowett,  Rev.  J.  H.,  estimate  of 

Miss  Coombs,  214,  220. 
Judd,  Mr.  151, 

Karlberg,  Mr.  G.  E.,  100. 
Kay,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Duncan,  86. 
Kettler,  General  von,  118,  167. 
King,  Mr.  Thomas  H.,  46. 
King,  Miss,  91. 
Kii  Wu  Hsien,  flight  from,  86. 
Kwei  Hwa  Ch'eng,  massacre  of 

missionaries  in  neighbourhood 

of,  104-109. 

Lao  Chen,  62,  63. 

Larsson,  Mr.  O.  A.,  100. 

Last   Letters ;  —  Mr,    Barratt's, 

95  ;    Miss    Bird's,    293-294 ; 

Miss  Duval's,  223-224  ;  Rev. 

G.    B.    Farthing's,    253 ;  Dr. 

Lovitt's,  66 ;  Mr.  M'Connell's, 

91 ;    Miss    Partridge's,    295- 

302 ;    Mr.     Pigott's,     73-76 ; 

Rev.  C.  W.  Price's,  269-290  ; 

Mrs.   Price's,    291-293 ;    Mr. 

Robinson's,  245  ;  Mr.  Stokes', 

253  ;  Mrs.  Stokes',  253  ;  Mr. 

Woodroffe's,96;  Mr.  Young's, 

91  ;     destroyed     by    Chinese 

officials,  79. 


Index 


323 


Lawson,  Mr.  and  Mrs.,  134. 

Lees,  Rev.  Jonathan,  44. 

Li  Hung  Chang,  117,  122,  125, 

126,  199,  205. 
Li  Ping  Heng,  48. 
Liu,  evangelist,  176. 
Liu  Hao,  62,  64,  70,  71,  80,  174. 
Liu  P'ai  Yuan,  62,  64,  70,  71, 

80,  173- 
Lovitt,  Dr.   and   Mrs.,  60,  61, 

67,  212  ;  memorial  sketch  of, 

226-230,  300. 
Lowrie,  Rev.  J.  Walter,  127. 
Lu   An  Fu,  riot  at,  and  flight 

from,  93. 
Lu  Cheng  Hsien,  flight  from,  94. 
Lundell,  Miss  J.,  100. 
Lundgren,   Mr.   and   Mrs.,   88, 

267,  273,  274,  276,  297,  301, 

318. 
Lutley,  Mr.  and  Mrs.,  84. 
Lyman,  Mr.,  164. 

Martyr-roll  of  Shansi,  13-15, 
20. 

Martyrs,  Protestant  missionary, 
commemorative  tablet  erected, 
132  ;  memorial  service  at  T'ai 
Yiian  Fu,  135 ;  memorial 
service  at  Hsin  Chou,  147  ; 
memorial  service  at  T'ai  Ku 
Hsien,  150,  317. 

Massacres,  reparation  for,  plan 
suggested,  122,  126  ;  proposi- 
tions discussed,  132  ;  agree- 
ment come  to,  132,  134;  of 
British  subjects,  no  judicial 
inquiry  held  concerning,  20, 
303. 

M'Connell,  Mr.  and  Mrs.,  91. 

M'Currach,  Rev.  and  Mrs.  Wm. , 
97,  147,  180. 

M'Kie,  Mr.,  86,89. 

M'Kie,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Stewart, 
46,  98. 

Maclaren,  Dr.  Alexander,  tribute 
to  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Pigott,  240. 

M'Mullan,  Mr.  James,  and 
industrial  Missions,  314. 


Medical  Missions,  312. 
Memorials     and     last     letters, 

213-302, 
Memorial  services,  see  Martyrs  ; 

Protestant      missionary,      see 

Chinese  Christians. 
Middleton,  Mr.,  151. 
Missionaries,  lack  of,  311. 
Mission  vk^ork  in  Shansi,  44,  47. 
Morgan,  Rev.  Evan,  311. 

Nathan,  Miss  Edith,  90. 
Nathan,  Miss  Mary,  90. 

Officials,  Chinese,  culpability 
of,  76,  79>  90,  97>  99>  loi- 
109,  129,  140,  141  ;  friend- 
liness of,  71,  83,  86,  89,  90, 
92,  98,  130,  151,  305. 

Ogren,  Mr.  and  Mrs.,  88,  272, 
273,  2S3. 

Opium  in  Shansi,  43. 

Orr  Ewing,  Mr.  A.,  126. 

Palmer,  Miss  R.,  84. 
Partridge,  Miss  L.,  93,  272,  295- 

302,  317. 
Peat,  Mr.  and  Mrs.,  89. 
Peck,  Mr.,  164. 
Pereira,   Major,   126,   129,   139, 

150,  318. 
Persson,  Mr.  and  Mrs.,  loo. 
Petterson,  Mr.  E.,  100. 
Pigott,  Mr.  and  Mrs.,  21,  72- 

82,  140,  177,  222,  226,  228, 

231-243,  299. 
Pigott,  William  Wellesley,  72- 

82,  239. 
Ping  Yao  Hsien,  riot  at,  83. 
P'ing  Yang  Fu,  84  ;  persecution 

of  Chinese  Christians  in  dis- 
trict of,  197-199. 
Porter,  Dr.  H.  P. ,  49. 
Price,   Rev.   C.   W.   and  Mrs., 

88,   212,  267,  269-293,  301, 

Proclamation  on  waiving  of 
claim  by  Shou  Yang  Mission, 
155;     concerning     Christian 


324 


Index 


Herald  famine  relief  fund, 
158 ;  to  Chinese  Christians, 
175.  285,  28S-289. 
Protestant  missionaries,  invited 
back  to  Shansi,  120 ;  journey 
from  Peking  to  T'ai  Yiian  Fu, 
126-131  ;  invited  by  Gover- 
nor to  feast,  139  ;  invited  by 
Treasurer  to  feast,  151. 

Rassmussen,     Miss    K,,     83, 

84. 
Renaut,  Miss,  97,  148. 
Retrograde     movements,     303- 

305- 

Rice,  Miss,  94. 

Richard,  Rev.  Timothy,  D.D., 
45,  120,  122,  126,  133,  160, 
161,  306,  309. 

Riots  in  China,  recent,  causes 
of,  21-29. 

Robinson,  Mr.  John,  73,  79, 
80,  81,  140,  243-246. 

Roman  Catholics,  at  T'ai  Yiian 
Fu,  60,  70  ;  massacre  of,  174, 
175 ;  efforts  to  retake  lost 
ground,  315;  the,  and  the 
indemnity,  165-172 ;  suffer- 
ings of,  104-109. 

Satow,  Sir  Ernest,  20,  31. 
Saunders,  Mr.  and  Mrs.,  83,  94, 

297. 
Schofield,  Dr.  Harold,  46,  234- 

235- 

Searell,  Miss,  87,  272,  297. 

Shansi,  Province  of,  boundaries, 
33  ;  loess  formation  in,  34 ; 
rivers,  35  ;  roads,  36 ;  climate, 
37 ;  rainfall,  37 ;  mineral 
products,  38 ;  meteorological 
notes,  39;  agricultural  pro- 
ducts, 40 ;  transport,  41  ; 
people,  early  history,  42  ; 
people,  character,  52  ;  archi- 
tecture, 43 ;  police,  128  ; 
University,  see  Western 
Learning,  College  of;  rail- 
ways, 316. 


Shekleton,  Miss  M.  E.,  199. 

Shen  Tun  Ho,  Taot'ai,  120, 
121,  122,  128,  130,  133,  139, 
140,  151,  162,  170,  171,  305. 

Shou  Yang  Hsien,  culpability  of 
official  at,  76,  79 ;  foreigners 
resident  at,  72-73,  77  ;  last  let- 
ter from,  73,  74-76  ;  flight  of 
missionaries  from,  77  ;  return 
to,  78 ;  second  flight  from, 
80 ;  massacre  of  missionaries 
from,  at  T'ai  Yiian  Fu,  82 ; 
memorial  service  at,  152; 
repair  of  Mission  premises  at, 
159 ;  massacre  of  Chinese 
Christians  at,  176-180. 

Simpson,  Mr.  and  Mrs.,  60,  63, 
67,  71  ;  memorial  sketch  of, 
246,  300. 

Smith,  Dr.  Arthur  H.,  4,  49. 

Smith,  Dr.  Creasy,  126,  147, 
150,  318. 

Smith,  Miss  M.  E.,  99. 

Soederstrom,  Mr.,  151,  152, 

So  P'ing  Fu,  massacre  at,  99- 
100. 

Sowerby,  Rev.  Arthur,  133, 
170 ;  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Pigott, 
232-238,  311. 

Stevens,  Miss  Jane,  60,  67,  300. 

Stewart,  Miss  Ellen  M.,  60, 
67  ;  memorial  sketch  of,  248- 
250,  300. 

Stokes,  Mr.  and  Mrs.,  60,  67, 
206,  227 ;  memorial  sketch 
of,  250-253,  300. 

Swallow,  Mr.,  164. 

Swedish  Missions  in  Shansi,  86. 

Swedish  missionaries,  massacre 
of,  99-109, 

T'ai  Ku  Hsien,  massacre  at  92 ; 

memorial  service  at,  317. 
T'ai  Yiian  Fu,  massacre  at,  59  ; 

Court     at.     III  ;     memorial 

service   at,    135 ;   schoolgirls, 

story  of,  1 99-2 II. 
Ta   Ning    Hsien,    massacre  at, 

90. 


Index 


325 


Ta  Tung  Fu,  massacre  at,  98- 
99. 

Taylor,  Mr.  Ernest,  126,  150, 
318. 

Taylor,  Mrs.  Hudson,  45. 

Tjader,  Mr.  C.  H.,  126. 

Ts'en  Ch'un  Hsiian,  Governor  of 
Shansi,  120 ;  interview  with 
missionaries,  139  ;  address  at 
memorial  service,  141  ;  issues 
proclamation  for  the  Shou 
Yang  Mission,  155 ;  sub- 
scribes towards  rebuilding 
hospital,  160 ;  removed  to 
Szechuan,  305. 

Turner,  Rev.  J.  J.,  44,  45,  134, 
181,  311. 

Underwood,  Rev.  T.  J.  and 
Mrs.,  68,  97,  148,  181,  300. 

University,  Shansi,  see  Western 
Learning,  College  of. 

Voluntary  contributions  to- 
wards rebuilding  T'ai  Yiian 
Fu  hospital,  160. 

Waldersee,  Count  von,  118, 
167. 

Western  Learning,  College  of, 
at  T'ai  Yiian  Fu,  proposed  as 
part  reparation  for  massacres, 
123 ;  support  of,  124,  165  ; 
Governor  Ts'en's  conditions, 
161  ;  final  arrangements,  161- 
165,  306. 

Western  learning  and  religious 
liberty,  163,  305. 


Whitchurch,     Miss,     87,     272, 

297. 
Whitehousc,    Rev.    V.    S.    and 

Mrs.,  60,  67,  300. 
Whiting,  Rev.  A.,  45. 
Williams,  Rev.  G.  L.,  93,  301, 

317. 
Williamson,     Rev.     Alexander, 

44. 
Wilson,  Dr.  and  Mrs.  William 

Millar,  60,  61,  67,  300. 
Women,  work  among,  314-315. 
Woodroffe,  Mr.,  95. 

Young,    Mr.    and    Mrs.,    91, 

197. 
Yo    Yang   Hsien,    flight   from, 

95- 

Yiian  Shih  K'ai,  49. 

Yii  Hsien,  history  of,  48 ; 
memorandum  of  charges 
against,  50 ;  appointed  Go- 
vernor of  Shansi,  51  ;  arrival 
in  Shansi,  56 ;  deceives  the 
missionaries,  69  ;  orders  and 
personally  superintends  the 
massacre  at  T'ai  Yiian  Fu,  72, 
82  ;  responsible  for  massacres 
throughout  the  province,  104- 
109 ;  leaves  T'ai  Yiian  Fu, 
117;  regretted  and  honoured 
by  people  of  T'ai  Yiian  Fu, 
117;  Li  Hung  Chang's 
opinion  of,  125. 

Ytiin  Ch'eng,  flight  from,  86. 

Yung  Ning  Chou,  flight  from, 
88. 

Yii  Wu,  flight  from,  94. 


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